Local resistance against the Derg in Ethiopia: The case of Admasu Belay rebellion

Abstract

As it is known war and rebellion are very common in Ethiopia due to internal and external factors. Since the ancient times governments and leaders in the country faced a variety of rebellions. Among the recent rebellions one is the rebellion led by Gerazmach Admasu Belay, who was from Gayint Awrajja (an administrative unit equivalent to sub province, which was under the former Gondar province). The rebellion of Grazmach Admasu was not well investigated by researchers, which became one of the reasons for this investigation. Descriptive research design was employed and snowball sampling tool was used to gather oral information. Both written and oral sources are collected including many archives. One of the major reasons for the rebellion was the fear of Admasu Belay due to the Derg’s new land policy which was against the nobilities of Imperial regime, which Grazmach Admasu was part of it. As a result of this rebellion many people from the combatants and civilians lost their life and huge amount of property was destroyed.

Keywords

• rebellion
• resistance
• oppression