By Muluken Yewondwossen | Capital Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The former residence of the first post-imperial acting head of state of Ethiopia, General Aman Mikael Andom, was partially demolished on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, in an Addis Ababa City Road Authority (AACRA) expansion project.
General Aman Mikael Andom
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The house, located in the western part of the city behind the Ministry of National Defense Hospital, partly lies in the space where China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is constructing a roundabout.
Fekade Hailu, head of AACRA, told Capital that demolition was carried out in accordance with the master plan and no objections had previously been raised.
“Though 1.5 million birr was offered to the current owner of the house, she is complaining it is not enough,” said Fekade.
Aman Mikael Andom (1924 -1974) was appointed head of state following the coup d’etat that deposed Emperor Haile Selasse on September 12, 1974, and served until his death in a shootout with his former supporters.
His official title was ‘Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council’ (better known as the Derg), and he held the position in an acting capacity as the military regime had officially proclaimed Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen as “King Designate” (an act that would later be rescinded by the Derg, and which was never accepted by the prince as legitimate).
As commander of the Third Division, General Aman had been beating back the encroachments of the Somali army on the eastern border earning him the nickname “Desert Lion.” However, in 1964 the Emperor dismissed him when he began to advance inside Somalia in violation of his order and Aman afterwards served in the Ethiopian Senate in “political exile”.
History books indicate General Aman had contacts with the officers of the junta as early as February and March of 1974, but by July he was appointed chief of staff to the military junta. Three days after the junta removed the Emperor from his palace to imprisonment at the headquarters of the Fourth Division; this group appointed him their chairman and president of Ethiopia. At the same time, this group of soldiers assumed the name “Provisional Military Administrative Council” Derg.
From the first day of his presidency, the general found himself at odds with a majority of the Derg’s members over most major issues, including whether he was ‘chairman’ of the ruling military body or simply its ‘spokesman. Aman fought the majority of the Derg over three central issues: the size of the Derg, which he felt was too large and unwieldy; the policy to be taken towards the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF); and over the punishment of the numerous aristocrats and former government officials in the Derg’s custody.
His refusal to sanction the execution of former high officials, including two former prime ministers and several royal family members and relatives, put his relations with the majority of the Derg on bitter footing.
As an Eritrean, General Aman found himself fiercely at odds with the Derg leadership. He wanted to negotiate a peaceful settlement; his opponents hoped to crush the ELF by military force. Aman went as far as making two personal visits to Eritrea giving speeches stating that the end of the Imperial Regime was also the end of old practices towards Eritrea, that a government dedicated to national unity and progress would restore peace and prosperity to Eritrea, and lastly that he would begin investigations concerning crimes that the army had perpetrated on Eritreans and punish the guilty.
However, at the same time the Derg had begun eliminating opponents within the military. The three significant units were the Imperial Bodyguard, the Air Force, and the Corp of Engineers; of the three, the most recalcitrant were the Engineers.
Eventually, soldiers loyal to the Derg stormed the Engineers’ camp, killing five, wounding several and detaining the rest.
General Aman died in a battle with troops sent to his home to arrest him. The actual cause of his death remains unclear, whether he was killed or committed suicide.
That same night, the political prisoners that the Derg had marked for execution were taken from Menelik prison, where they had been held, to the Akaki Central Prison where they were executed and buried in a mass grave.
16 thoughts on “General Aman Mikael Andom’s home demolished”
Wayane can take Aman Andom’s historical house out, but they can never ever take his heroic deeds and house out of Ethiopian and Eritrean people heart and mind!
General Aman Andom was one hell of a hero. A man with principles and devotion. We miss poeple like him now. If there was one, we would have get rid off the Weyane junata long ago. May God bless his soul!
It looks like the DERG destroyed Ethiopia and the right to access to the Red Sea.
General Aman was working hard to work with One Ethiopia and he was from Eritrea province.
Mengistu Haile Mariam hodam gangster really messed it up for our people.
We need new Eritrean person like General Aman who can work out problems and unite the renegade province of Eritrea from the hands of those Liberation front and work with ONE ETHIOPIA.
Is this a news or what?? Hundreds of homes have been demolished and will be demolished. So what?? even the owners are not questioning the importance of the demolishing of their home but the fairness of the compensation. I hope they will reach at a reasonable valuation acceptable by both parties. Please try other news.
selam
Anonymous replies:
March 21st, 2012 at 1:40 PM
General Aman is survived by his four children. None of them have ever laid claims to his home. It is not known to them who this misterious woman is who has refused compensation.
No doubt General Aman was one of Ethiopia’s war heroes and a true patriot. Had the military junta listned to the adivise of the General, Eritrea would still be part of Ethiopia. He was well received and respected by most of the people including the people of Eritrea and ofcourse the army. The Derg led by Mengistu never intended to make the position given to the General permanent. It was just to calm down the people’s anger specially the army until all the ground work is complete to put Mengistu on top. Soon after the death of General Aman, the Derg temporarily installed General Teferi Banti, and later him and Colonel Atnafu faced the same fate as the General.
There was no Akaki central prison at that time. The prison was kerchele
Folks:
Do we have to keep dancing at the artificial drumming of the TPLF meant just to divert attention from its complete defeat in Somalia and hotely on the run with its trimmed tails being folded between its legs as we speak.Hmm…
Instead of daily trivial persuite why not unite solidely and build true Ethiopian democracy by avoiding minority dictatorship whose national entertainemnt is only keep making trivial activities while Ethiopians are perishing from poverty and starvation.
Aman the Uniter the true Ethiopian. He went further to put Ethiopian flag in Mogadishu by wipping the Somalis. We lost the opportunity the facisist Derg destroyed Ethiopianess for ever and that is the consequence we are seeing now. Let god help Aman’s soul to rest in PEACE. There were many many Eritreans who fought for unity and help build Ethiopia. Give me one Tigray individual did the same. Atse Yohannes was a traitor who let foreign troops to take over Tewodros. Believe me it is the Tigrians who always conspire with enemy to destroy Ethiopia. I can go on and on the truth is Ethiopianess is not anymore the same. Long live Ethiopian and Eritreans brotherhood !!!!
Good article.
However, the topic is a wrong topic (demolished house). In stead, the topic should have been, “Who was Gen. Aman Andom” or “Aman Andom: The True Patriotic General of Ethiopia”.
The article dealt in length about what he did and who he was, on the contrary, the demolition story was just a paragraph or two.
Just my observation …
my mom use to mention him a lot he was big house hold name in Asmara …ladies was infatuated by his looks and power…no doubt there are ppl still preserve him a traitor as well but above all my ppl have great respect coz he has been able to servive among those Animals Dergi for years ..and earn so much respect from them …that was facinating to all of us …my mom use to tell histories that he did not give a shit about any of Dergi mebers, what then was powerfull and capable of distroying villages for fun and very cruel to Eritrean ppl…mind u we were very scared of any dergi memeber.. the fuct that he was a respected leader we were kind of proud proud of him ,, rember we had also tegadelti we were facinated by esseyas, romodan, awete, sbhat and more of the fighter.. and also i hated Indian movie but a lot asmara youngsters were facinated about amit. himamali and more..i use to love italian actors budsbencer and tershill… so in Asmara there was not short of heros to talk about …luvDG
Oh Aman the Great! He was the best of the best. I can not believe the cockroaches woyanes are destroying his home. They should preserve as historical place. I wish instead of one Aman, late millions of woyannes dies.
Tariku #8
I am ashamed that you have called yourself an Ethiopian.
We must not be blinded by TPLF hatred and condemn Tigrayans as the enemy of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian history (Aksum/Abysinia) empire was founded in Tigrai.
Atse Yohannes IV gave his neck NOT FOR TIGRAY but for GONDER.
Ras Alula Aba Nega the heroic Ethiopian general saved Ethiopia from italian and Egyptian and not to forget the invasion by the Turks. Both Atse Yohannes and Ras Alula claimed our borders to the Red Sea.
Dejazmach Subagadis, Shum Agame Woldu, Sebhat Aregawi, Mengesha Yohannes and many Tigrai Ethiopian brothers who died for Ethiopia.
Stop your dividing Ethiopia mind and unite all Ethiopians Oromo, Tigray, Amhara, Somali, Afar and the rest!
Muslim and Orthodox!
All Ethiopians !
Thank you Mimi, General Aman is one Ethiopian hero we all proud of.
እባካችሁ በማታውቁት ቋንቋ አትኮላተፉ !!!
ወይንም ተማሩ !! የማታውቁትንም ታሪክ አታብኩ !! አንብቡ !!
I respect gen. Amman Amdom,GOD bless his soul!.Derg tried to make him small,but he is not!.Can Elias Kifle be the next civilian Amman Amdom?…yes he can,if he wants to.