Ethiopia III Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
"Return to Ethiopia" Trip
September 22 - October 7, 2012
50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in Ethiopia
October 6 - Saturday
Red Terror Museum - Addis Ababa
Darrel and Betty Hagberg reluctantly visited the Red Terror Martyr’s Memorial to try to understand history of the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie and of the activities of the Derg (the Committee) from 1974 until 1991. The museum is located just off Meskal Square in Addis Ababa.
The Derg was the short name for the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of military officers that took power and ruled Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Between 1975 and 1987, the Derg imprisoned, tortured and executed tens of thousands of its perceived opponents without trial. About 400,000 died in the civil war against the Derg and another million died of starvation. The Derg rounded up many educated people and students and shot them without trial. Many students trained by the Peace Corps were a particular a target for elimination by the Derg.
The Derg imprisoned Haile Selassie in September 1974 and later several military officers strangled him in bed in August 1975. They dumped his body into a latrine located on the Jubilee Palace Grounds. His remains were later covered over by a concrete slab. After the Red Terror, Selassie bones were eventually recovered and he was given an official funeral in 2000. He is buried in a crypt in the Holy Trinity Cathedral along side his wife in Addis Ababa (see the photo section on the Trinity Cathedral).
Even to this day, the many atrocities of the Derg are still to be uncovered and the museum continues to update the history of this tragic period of the country of Ethiopia.
(Important note: All photographs, except where mentioned, are copyrighted as of October 8, 2012, by Darrel and Betty Hagberg. Please request permission to use and please credit them).
The entrance to the Red Terror Martyr’s Memorial Museum.
A statue dedicated to the victims of the Derg.
at Our guide awaiting our visit on a quite afternoon.
Betty hesitates for a moment before entering the museum while the guide is encouraging us to enter.
Our guide explaining the seven spontaneous uprising against the Derg after they massacred many innocent people. At the time, our guide was an innocent victim of the Derg. His only crime was that he was a student. During his incarceration, he was regularly tortured.
Our guide discussing the history and lead up to the overthrow of Haile Selassie by the military.
The Derg is shown reading the arrest warrant against Haile Selassie in the Jubilee Palace.
After his arrest, Emperor Haile Selassie is humiliated by being forced to ride in his chauffer's small Volkswagen in front of Jubilee Palace.
After murdering the competition, Mengistu consolidated his power and launched the terror by declaring the opposition party as enemies of the state. Symbolic of the blood bath to come, he throws a bottle of blood before the crowd of supporters.
Exhibit showing Pro-Derg Propaganda.
Because of a lack of support to the Derg by the United States Government, the Communists are invited into Ethiopia. Castro is delighted to help.
A Derg Military Parade in Meskal Square.
Civilian Ethiopian Communist Commissars lead troops into village after villager to eliminate potential enemies of the state.
Victims cringe before their execution.
Many bewildered victims never understood why they were selected for death.
The three military leaders of the Derg (in center photo) soon became one, Mengistu (top photo).
One of the many cells used during the Derg.
Cheaply made Russian assault rifles resulted in many deaths under the Derg.
Ethiopia First, sounds familiar!
A Communist inspired torturing technique employed throughout Ethiopia.
A simple but effective Communist invention.
Items used in torture of the victims.
Short list of torture methods used by the Derg.
The Derg tried to end freedom of speech.
Duplicating machine which helped to inspire the people of Ethiopia to revolt against the Derg.
Exhibit on a typical mass grave.
Findings from a mass grave.
A memorial to the victims.
The Communist doing what they are good at.
Victims of the Derg.
Victims of the Derg.
Victims of the Derg.
Photographs of the victims of the Derg are being added everyday.
Haunting memories of the innocent victims.
Promising futures ended by the Derg.
Members of the Derg facing the Death Sentence after the fall.
A list of the victims being read to the Derg.
A monument to the Derg still stands in Addis Addis.
Detail of the Communist monument.
Old cannon located in Addis Ababa.
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Betty McLaughlin Hagberg, Web Master
Updated on 11 November 2012
