Tafari Benti
Tafari Benti (11 October 1921 – 3 February 1977) was an Ethiopian military officer and politician who led the country from 1974 to 1977 as the chairman of the Derg, the ruling military junta. He was the second chairman after Aman Mikael Andom and acted as the de facto head of state, delivering public announcements for the government.
Born in Addis Ababa and of Oromo descent, Tafari joined the Ethiopian Army at age 20, trained at the Holetta Military Academy, and served in the Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions. In 1967 he was a military attaché in Washington, D.C., where he and other Ethiopians faced racial discrimination.
On 23 November 1974, Aman Mikael Andom was killed, and Tafari was chosen to lead. He became the visible face of the ruling junta. In September 1975 the Derg announced it would create a political party aligned with the Soviet-style Communist movement, and in March 1975 the monarchy was officially abolished, making way for a socialist government.
During Tafari’s time in power, the Derg faced internal splits, especially around Mengistu Haile Mariam. In December 1976, Tafari helped push a reform that limited Mengistu’s power and moved his allies away from the capital. This highlighted tensions within the leadership and the ongoing leftist struggles in the country.
In 1976 and early 1977, violence and purges intensified between rival Marxist-Leninist groups, including the EPRP and MEISON. On 3 February 1977, Tafari and other suspected conspirators were arrested and executed after a confrontation within the Derg. Subsequent fighting and arrests followed, and Mengistu’s forces continued to consolidate control.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:58 (CET).