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The Ethiopian Red Terror Trials: Transitional Justice Challenged
This collection analyses the approach taken by the current government of Ethiopia to deal with the massive human rights violations that took place from 1974 to 1991 under the Derg.
How was an autocratic emperor replaced by a totalitarian dictator?
An unexpected popular upsurge in February 1974 made the ancien regime of Emperor Haile Selassie buckle. The Derg, a group of army officers led by an obscure and ruthless major Mengistu Hailemariam, seized power by military coup in September 1974 and removed the Emperor.
What was the 'red terror'?
The callous executions of members of the old regime initiated a cult of violence. The Derg were united by the shedding of blood. Search and destroy campaigns against militants led on to the full-blown 'red terror' in which thousands of the regime's opponents were brutally murdered in the streets.
In what way was 'transitional justice' administered?
The main officials were found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by the Ethiopian Federal High Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Some of the minor officialshad already been sentenced to death, whilst President Mugabe has given Mengistu Hailemariam sanctuary in Zimbabwe.
KJETIL TRONVOLL is Professor in Human Rights, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo; CHARLES SCHAEFER is Associate Professor of African History, Valparaiso University; GIRMACHEW ALEMU ANEME is a Research Fellow at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo.
How was an autocratic emperor replaced by a totalitarian dictator?
An unexpected popular upsurge in February 1974 made the ancien regime of Emperor Haile Selassie buckle. The Derg, a group of army officers led by an obscure and ruthless major Mengistu Hailemariam, seized power by military coup in September 1974 and removed the Emperor.
What was the 'red terror'?
The callous executions of members of the old regime initiated a cult of violence. The Derg were united by the shedding of blood. Search and destroy campaigns against militants led on to the full-blown 'red terror' in which thousands of the regime's opponents were brutally murdered in the streets.
In what way was 'transitional justice' administered?
The main officials were found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by the Ethiopian Federal High Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Some of the minor officialshad already been sentenced to death, whilst President Mugabe has given Mengistu Hailemariam sanctuary in Zimbabwe.
KJETIL TRONVOLL is Professor in Human Rights, Peace and Conflict Studies at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo; CHARLES SCHAEFER is Associate Professor of African History, Valparaiso University; GIRMACHEW ALEMU ANEME is a Research Fellow at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo.
- GenresAfrica
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2009
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March 8, 2017
So I was probably too ambitious checking this out to read on the first day of my law school semester and so it took me months to finish, despite being relatively short.
The early chapters on the context and the Derg violence in Ethiopia (the Red Terror itself) were not very well done and I didn't end up with a clear picture of all the different players and the history until much later in the book. I was quite impressed and interested by several of the transitional justice theory chapters in the middle, particularly those by Vaughan, Schaefer, and Alemu Aneme.
I would recommend this book (or select chapters) for people really interested in the various transitional justice strategies because Ethiopia's choice for domestic trials is an unusual counterpoint and a valuable case study.
The early chapters on the context and the Derg violence in Ethiopia (the Red Terror itself) were not very well done and I didn't end up with a clear picture of all the different players and the history until much later in the book. I was quite impressed and interested by several of the transitional justice theory chapters in the middle, particularly those by Vaughan, Schaefer, and Alemu Aneme.
I would recommend this book (or select chapters) for people really interested in the various transitional justice strategies because Ethiopia's choice for domestic trials is an unusual counterpoint and a valuable case study.
Displaying 1 of 1 review