Word: mengistu
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...northern provinces of Tigre and Eritrea, drought has cut crop yields 85%. The U.N. estimates that 4 million people are in danger of starving and will need emergency food aid. An international relief effort is at work, but in the civil war between the rigidly Marxist government of President Mengistu Haile Mariam and rebels from Tigre and Eritrea, denial of food is a key weapon for both sides. The main relief agencies would like to bring supplies to the insurgents across the Sudanese border instead of via government-controlled ports. But that could get the agencies banned from vital operations...
...rebels recently dealt some major blows to Mengistu's troops, which are among the best-equipped in Africa, courtesy of $500 million yearly in Soviet aid. Tigre-led forces are 80 miles from the capital and may sever its links with the country's major port. The government is conscripting women and children and threatening to divert all development aid to mobilization. At gunpoint or with threats of confiscating ration cards, soldiers dragoon crowds for "patriotic" rallies. Mengistu narrowly missed assassination two months...
Within a day, Mengistu rushed home to restore control. He cut off his country from the outside world, closing airports and telecommunications lines. By week's end the President announced that the coup had failed and vowed that his forces would "liquidate" the traitors. According to the State Ruling Council, most of the conspirators had surrendered. But the toll of the insurrection was high: nine generals, including the air force commander and the army Chief of Staff, had died...
Though he retains control for the moment, Mengistu's position is likely to remain precarious. His Soviet-supplied army is one of the largest and best equipped in Africa, but it has suffered what one Ethiopian officer called "disastrous, bloody chaos." Last March it was trounced by rebels from the Tigre People's Liberation Front, which has been fighting the government for twelve years. One year earlier, 19,000 government soldiers were routed by Eritrean forces...
Army officers say they are demoralized by political mishandling of military affairs and by worries of eventual weapons shortages as Moscow pressures Mengistu to settle the civil war. Much of the civilian population would also like to see their leader deposed. People were particularly angered when Mengistu ordered the forced conscription of 100,000 boys, some as young...