VOICE OF THE PROVISIONAL
MILITARY ADMINISTRATION OF
SOCIALIST ETHIOPIA (DERG)
TO ALL COMRADES AND CITIZENS
OF THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA
Atnasiya Y.
Bereket B
Kidist D.
People of Ethioipia,
The Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 was a glorious dawn, a necessary fire to cleanse
our nation of the ancient, rotting structures of feudalism and imperial oppression. It
was a promise for Edget Behibret Zemecha (a national youth campaign launched by
the Derg regime in 1975 to mobilize young people for literacy and other “Socialist”
projects)—an Ethiopia of equality, discipline, and collective progress under the
guiding light of Ye-Ethiopia Hebretesebawinet (Ethiopian Socialism). Yet, like a weed
choking the fertile fields of our collective future, a spirit of counter-revolutionary
sabotage now festers among us. We have witnessed it. We have recorded it. This
egregious behavior is a betrayal of the blood spilled by our martyrs and a direct
assault on the state itself. This must be extinguished. We have seen the evidence of
your treachery:
The Poison of Defeatism: Whispered doubts in the markets, the cowardly refusal
to participate in our mass mobilizations for the Zemecha (Campaign), and
cynical jokes about the State. This defeatism is a huge weapon in the hands of our
enemies.
Economic Sabotage: Failing to meet production quotas hoarding grain and
selling goods on the black market at exploitative prices. These are not mere
crimes; they are acts of war against the Ethiopian people and are starving the
Revolution from within.
Collusion with the Enemy: Fraternizing with anti-peace elements, listening to
subversive foreign radio broadcasts, and hiding those who seek to undermine our
National Unity. Silence in the face of these activities is complicity.
This is not the path of a patriotic Ethiopian. This is the path of a traitor. The
Revolution is not a request. It is a mandate. The time for gentle reminders is over. The
period of re-education is closing. We now enter the phase of irreversible revolutionary
justice. I, Chairman Mengistu Hailemariam, as the sole legitimate authority of Ethiopia
and tasked with the sacred duty of protecting the Revolution decree the following non-
negotiable expectations:
1. Your Lips Shall Speak Only Revolution: Any speech, public or private, that sows
division, questions the State, or spreads panic is an act of treason. Your words must
be of production, loyalty, and collective struggle.
2. Your Labor Belongs to the State: You will meet your quotas. You will sell your
goods at state-mandated prices. Your hands must build the socialist future, not
enrich your own pockets. Failure is sabotage.
3. Your Eyes and Ears Belong to the State: You will report any person—neighbor,
friend, or even family—who engages in activities against the Revolution. Vigilance
is your highest civic duty. To see and not report is to betray.
Moving forward, there will be no warnings. Deviation from this path will be met with
the full, severe force of Revolutionary Law. The Kebele associations are watching. The
State Security is listening. We do not desire this path for you, but we will walk it without
hesitation to preserve our Revolution. Let this generation be remembered not for its
disobedience, but for its iron will and total commitment to the Socialist Motherland.
Let your obedience be absolute. Let your fear of the State be greater than your fear of
the enemy. Choose your side wisely. There is no third way.
With Revolutionary Resolve and Iron Resolve,
Chairman Mengistu Hailemariam
Leader of the DERG and Protector of the Socialist Revolution
Ethiopia Tikdem! (Ethiopia First)
Reference
Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/reports/pdfs/e/ethiopia/ethiopia.919/c6terror.pdf
Political regression and the “breeding ground for conflict. The Reporter.
https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/40401/
Political Violence in Ethiopia: Some Reflections on the Red Terror and its Legacies. African
Journals Online. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejossah/article/view/84372/74372
Resource Information Center: Ethiopia | USCIS. (2015, October 14). USCIS.
https://www.uscis.gov/archive/resource-information-center-ethiopia-0
The Habesha: Latest Ethiopian News, And Insightful Analysis. (2022, May 17). EPRP vs.
Meison , 1978. The Habesha: Latest Ethiopian News, Analysis and Articles.
https://zehabesha.com/eprp-vs-Meison -1978/
