General information
Part of Conflict: Ethiopia: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1989-05-16
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: On 16 May 1989 a faction within the military, led by the chief of staff of the armed forces, Major General Merid Negusie, and the head of the air force, Major General Amha Desta, initiated a coup attempt to overthrow President Mengistu.
Date of first use of armed force: 1989-05-16
Comment on date of first use of armed force: Before the coup had actually begun the Defence Minister, who had been informed of the intention by the government-loyal conspirator General Tesfaye Wolde Selassie (head of Ethiopias internal security apparatus), ordered the conspirators out of the ministry building and threatened them with court-matials. He was shot on the spot and the conspirators managed to alert some of their supporters to mount resistance and thus go through with the coup.
First Battle Related Death: 1989-05-16
Comment on First Battle Related Death: The two coup leaders, Merid Negussie and Amha Desta, were killed when resisting arrest by government-loyal troops, and further the Defence Minister Major General Haile Giorgis Habte Mariam was killed when trying to stop the rebellion.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1989-05-20
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The coup attempt itself and the following fighting only lasted for a few days, spreading from Addis Ababa to Asmara. By 20 May fighting had ceased in both these locations and over 25 battle-related deaths could be counted.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Negusie was a rebel group which emerged as a military faction aiming to overthrow the government of Eritrea in 1989. The group emerged with the intention of overthrowing the government and settling the numerous armed conflicts that were ongoing in Eritrea at the time. The group was only coded as existing for one year. During 1989, the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) released statements regarding the military faction’s aims and proclaimed two conflict goal issues: they stated that they had ousted the executive government, and called for the establishment of a provisional government that would usher in democracy to Eritrea. As the group only existed for one year, no further conflict goal issues were pronounced, and no main issue was attributed to forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Negusie.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: No statements were interpreted from the forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Neguise pertaining to conflict dynamics issues.
Conflict Resolution Issues: The only interpreted conflict resolution issue pronounced by the forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Neguise was stated in 1989, when the group called for a national ceasefire to be established.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues CPS: Democracy, Oust full executive
Conflict Dynamics Issues:
Conflict Resolution Issues: Call for ceasefire
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 54 |
| Best | 37 |
| Low | 37 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ethiopia): n/a
Side B (Military faction (forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Negusie)): n/a
1996
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Ethiopia): n/a
Side B (Military faction (forces of Amsha Desta and Merid Negusie)): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1989 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: YES
Victorious side: A
Comment on Victory: On 16 May there was a coup attempt against the Mengistu government by a military faction consisting of senior officers. After some days of fighting the coup could however be stopped, and hence the conflict ended in a victory for the government. This was only one part of the government conflict though, and the other opposition groups continued to fight, so the government did not win the conflict but managed to annihilate the uprising of one opposition group.
Comment on Victorious Side: Through intelligence and government-loyal army factions the coup attempt could be stopped. President Mengistu was reported to have killed a large number of the conspirators after the uprising.
Comment on Total Battle Related Deaths: Through intelligence and government-loyal army factions the coup attempt could be stopped. President Mengistu was reported to have killed a large number of the conspirators after the uprising.
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Victory
Date of termination: 1989-12-31
Comment on Termination: Through intelligence and government-loyal army factions the coup attempt could be stopped in 1989.
1996 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
