The EPRDF's capture of Addis Ababa on 28 May 1991 ended the Ethiopian Civil War and terminated nearly two decades of Derg Marxist–Leninist rule.
Key Facts
- Date of fall
- 28 May 1991
- Ruling junta defeated
- Derg (est. 1974)
- Victorious coalition
- Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
- Derg leader
- Mengistu Haile Mariam
- Soviet support withdrawn
- 1990
- Derg came to power
- 1974, after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Derg, which seized power in 1974 by deposing Emperor Haile Selassie, faced mounting armed opposition from rebel groups including the TPLF and EPLF. Its brutal Red Terror campaigns, the catastrophic 1983–1985 famine, forced resettlement policies, and the withdrawal of Soviet military and financial support from 1990 onward severely weakened the regime and eroded its domestic and international standing.
The EPRDF rebel coalition launched a decisive military campaign against the Derg in 1991. On 28 May 1991, EPRDF forces captured Addis Ababa, defeating the Marxist–Leninist military junta and bringing the Ethiopian Civil War to a close. Mengistu Haile Mariam had already fled the country before the final takeover of the capital.
The fall of the Derg ended nearly 17 years of military junta rule in Ethiopia and concluded the prolonged Ethiopian Civil War. The EPRDF established a transitional government, and Eritrea moved toward independence following the concurrent collapse of Derg authority, fundamentally reshaping the political map of the Horn of Africa.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Mengistu Haile Mariam.
Side B
3 belligerents