Mengistu Haile Mariam
Ethiopian military officer who rose to lead the Derg junta, purging rivals in the Red Terror of 1977–1978 that killed an estimated 500,000 Ethiopians; aligned Ethiopia with the Soviet Union, fought the Ogaden War against Somalia, and remained in power during the catastrophic 1984–1985 famine; fled to Zimbabwe in 1991 as rebel forces closed on Addis Ababa.
- Lived: 1937 CE – ?
- Nationality: ethiopian
- Roles: head_of_state, dictator, military_leader
