Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Eastern Africa - Rise of the Dergue
- Ethiopia - Internal conflicts and the fall of the monarchy
- Ethiopia - Challenges to the regime
- history of Ethiopia - Land reform and famine
- history of Ethiopia - Ethiopian transition (1991–95)
- Mengistu Haile Mariam: Top Questions
- history of Ethiopia - Internal conflicts and the fall of the monarchy
- history of Ethiopia - Challenges to the regime
Why did Ethiopia’s government begin to weaken in the late 1980s?
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In the late 1980s, the Ethiopian government under Mengistu Haile Mariam faced a rapid decline due to a combination of military failures, the loss of international support, and internal domestic unrest.12
Key factors contributing to this weakening include:
- Military Defeats and Resource Shortages: The Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) achieved significant battlefield successes, capturing weapons from demoralized government troops. Crucially, the Soviet Union refused to continue supplying the regime with arms, leaving the military without sufficient munitions or equipment.12
- Loss of Territorial Control: By 1989, the government was forced to evacuate Tigray. The subsequent occupation of Massawa by the EPLF broke the government's supply lines, signaling that it no longer effectively ruled in the north.12
- Internal Rebellion: The formation of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) unified opposition forces, which advanced rapidly into several provinces. Simultaneously, the Oromo Liberation Front became active in the south, further stretching the regime's capacity.12
- Collapse of Popular Support: Faced with these pressures, Mengistu attempted to roll back unpopular socialist policies, but this only led peasants to dismantle state cooperatives and reject government authority, further eroding the regime's control in the countryside.12