Ethiopia celebrates downfall of Marxist 'Derg' regime

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Ethiopia commemorated the 28th anniversary of the downfall of the Marxist regime, known as the Derg, that ruled the country for 17 years with an iron fist.

The Derg regime's demise was made possible by a guerrilla movement which later formed a government with most of its members becoming officials, including former-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

However, many Ethiopians would later oppose the former rebels' rule for its eventual despotism, corruption and inefficiency.

Fierce country-wide anti-government protests in 2016 forced the ruling party to elect a reformist leader.

In April last year, a young reformer became Ethiopia's premier, introducing sweeping reforms -- an act many see to have saved the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front from crumbling as it came under intense pressure from anti-government protests.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed addressed the nation on the eve of the May 28 celebrations, saying that the downfall of the Derg regime had ushered in a new era.

Underlining that all had suffered under previous regimes, Ahmed called on all groups to refrain from excessively portraying themselves as victims.

Prior to April 2018, the ruling four-party coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front was influenced by the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) -- a party that spearheaded the fight against the Derg regime but whose notable members were immersed in corruption allegations.