Massacre of the Sixty
The Massacre of the Sixty, or Black Saturday (Amharic: ጥቁሩ ቅዳሜ?, tikuru kidami), took place on the morning of 23 November 1974 (Ethiopian calendar: 14 Hidar 1967), when 60 imprisoned former government officials were executed by the Derg at Kerchele prison (commonly called Alem Bekagn - "Farewell to the World") in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was considered the sudden death of the hopes that Ethiopia's revolution, barely ten weeks old, could remain bloodless, as epitomised by the slogan "Ityopiya tikdem, yala mimin dem” — “Let Ethiopia progress, without any bloodshed”. It presaged the Red Terror and Ethiopian Civil War that would follow.[1]
List of people executed
The 54 below were executed on the orders of Mengistu Haile Mariam.
Executed
- Prime Minister Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold
- Prime Minister Lilj Endalkachew Makonnen
- Lt. General Abiye Abebe
- H.H. Prince (Leul Ras) Asrate Kassa
- Rear Admiral Leul Iskinder Desta
- Ras Mesfin Sileshi
- Ato Abebe Retta
- Ato Akalework Habte-Wold
- Lt. Colonel Tamirat Yigezu
- Dejazmatch Kifle Irgetu
- Lt. General Kebede Gebre
- Lt. General Issayas Gebre-Sellasie
- Lt. General Assefa Ayana
- Lt. General Debebe HaileMariam
- Lt. General Belete Abebe
- Lt. General Deresae Dubale
- Lt. General Haile Baikedagn
- Lt. General Assefa Demisse
- Lt. General Abebe Gemeda
- Lt. General Yilma Shibeshi
- Ato Mulatu Debebe
- Dr. Tesfaye Gebre Igzi
- Dejazmatch Workineh Wolde Amanuel
- Dejazmatch Aemero Selassie Abebe
- Dejazmatch Solomon Abreha
- Dejazmatch Sahelu Difeye
- Dejazmatch Worku Inqu Selassie
- Dejazmatch Legese Bezu
- Colonel Solomon Kedir
- Blata Admasu Retta
- Ato Nebiye Leul Kifle
- Ato Solomon Gebre Mariam
- Ato Tegegn Yetashework
- Afe Nigus (Lord Chief Justice) Abeje Debalke
- Dejazmatch Kebede Ali Wele
- Major General Gashaw Kebede
- Major General Seyoum Gedle Giorgis
- Major General Tafesse Lemma
- Lij Hailu Desta
- Fitawrari Amde Abera
- Fitawrari Tadesse Inqu Selassie
- Fitawrari Demisse Alamirew
- Kegnyazmatch Yilma Aboye
- Brigadier General Wendimu Abebe
- Brigadier General Girma Yohannes
- Brigadier General Mulugeta Wolde Yohannes
- Colonel Yigezu Yimene
- Colonel Alem Zewde Tessema
- Colonel Tassew Mojo
- Major Berhane Mecha
- Captain Mola Wakene
- Captain Wolde-Yohannes Zergaw
- Lieutenant Belai Tsegaye
Killed in shootout
The remaining six were killed in a shootout at the home of General Aman Andom
- Lieutenant Demisse Shiferaw
- Lance Corporal Bekele Wolde Giorgis
- Sub-Corporal Tekle Haile
- Lt. General Aman Mikael Andom
- Lance Corporal Tesfaye Tekle
- Junior Aircraftsman Yohannes Fetoui
References
- ↑ "1974: Black Saturday in Ethiopia". Executed Today. Retrieved 3 October 2013.