The day of the fall of the Derg military regime in Ethiopia is celebrated annually on May 28. This holiday is dedicated to the events that took place in 1991, when opposition troops entered the capital Addis Ababa, and the Mengistu government was overthrown.
Derg, which translates from the Ge'ez language as «committee» or «council», — abbreviated name of the Coordination Group of the Armed Forces, Police and Territorial Army; the committee of military officers who led the country from 1974 to 1987, also known as the Provisional Military Administrative Council (VVAS). The Derg was a communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia after Emperor Haile Selassie I was overthrown.
At the beginning of 1974, army units stationed in Asmara rebelled. They demanded an increase in pay. Soon military units from other parts of the country joined the rioters. Now the goal of the rebels was the resignation of the government. The military was supported by workers and students.
Although the emperor fulfilled these demands, in the next few months he lost all real power, which passed to the military. The military dissolved the civilian government and created its own provisional military government.
During this period, tens of thousands of his opponents became victims of the regime, who were imprisoned and summarily executed as a result of the «red terror». The WWAS was officially abolished in 1987 after the adoption of a new constitution, but the regime actually fell in 1991 with the end of the Ethiopian Civil War.
A national conference was held in July 1991 to discuss the political future of Ethiopia and the formation of a Transitional Government. As a result of the conference, it was decided that a State Council consisting of 87 representatives from 20 political groups and ethnic organizations would be created to lead the country during a two-year transition period. The Council confirmed Tigre People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leader Males Zenawi as head of the Transitional Government.
Also in 1991, by decree of the new government, the territory of Ethiopia was divided into 14 administrative districts led by a local administration with limited powers in governing the regions.
Today Ethiopia is a federal democratic parliamentary republic headed by a president. The state is divided into 13 administrative-territorial units, 11 of which are states and 2 — special districts, equal in status to states.
On the day of May 28 itself, which is a public holiday in the country, all official and educational institutions are closed, people participate in festive events with songs and dances, and senior officials make solemn speeches to honor the memory of the martyrs of the military regime.