The Ethiopian military leadership appointed Tafari Benti as the second chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council in November 1974, following the death of Lieutenant General Aman Mikael Andom. Serving until 1977, he acted as the public face of the governing junta during a period of transition toward a socialist government of Marxist-Leninist inspiration.
Military Career and Rise to Power
Born in Addis Ababa in 1921, Tafari Benti was of Oromo descent. He entered the Ethiopian Army at age 20 and graduated from the Holetta Military Academy. His service included assignments in the Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions. By 1967, he held the position of military attaché in Washington, D.C. At the time of his selection to lead the Derg in 1974, he held the rank of brigadier general and was stationed in Asmara with the Fourth Division.
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Tafari Benti oversaw the official abolition of the monarchy in March 1975. As the figurehead of the junta, he delivered public statements, including the September 1975 announcement that the government would form a political party aligned with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Throughout 1975 and 1976, he signaled potential support for civilian groups, including MEISON and the EPRP, advocating for a united front and criticizing military intervention in civilian political conflicts. In December 1976, he announced a restructuring of the Derg intended to limit the power of Mengistu Haile Mariam.
Downfall and Execution
In February 1977, Mengistu Haile Mariam organized the removal of the chairman and his allies. During a meeting on 3 February 1977, soldiers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Asfaw arrested Tafari Benti along with several other officials, including Captain Mogus Wolde Mikael and Lieutenant Alemayehu Haile. They were held in a garage within the compound and subsequently executed by soldiers using silenced automatic weapons. Following the deaths, Mengistu alleged that the group had been plotting with the EPRP to undermine the socialist agenda of the Derg.
Fast facts
- Born: 11 October 1921, Addis Ababa
- Died: 3 February 1977, Addis Ababa
- Ethnicity: Oromo
- Religion: Christianity
- Role: Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council
- Military Rank: Brigadier General
- Years in Power: 1974–1977
Questions readers ask
What was Tafari Benti's official role in Ethiopia?
He served as the second chairman of the Derg, the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, and acted as head of state from 1974 until 1977.
Why was he executed?
Mengistu Haile Mariam accused him and other colleagues of being secret supporters of the EPRP and conspiring against the junta's socialist goals.
