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Abyotawit Seded ({{lang-am|አብዮታዊ ሰደድ}}, 'Revolutionary Flame') formed in 1976 by a group of [[Derg]] officers who had attended political trainings in the [[Soviet Union]] from 1975 and onwards. Mengistu Haile Mariam was the titular chairman of Seded. The key organizer of the group was, however, Legasse Asfew (a former sergeant). Seded was the key instrument of Derg to gain control over POMOA. The admission of Seded into POMOA divided the coalition. Meison and Ichat saw the entry of Seded as a threat to their own control over the structure. Malerid and Waz League, on the other hand, supported the entry of Seded as a counterweight to Meison and Ichat.<ref name="clap67">clap, 67</ref>
'''''Abyotawit Seded''''' ({{lang-am|አብዮታዊ ሰደድ}}, 'Revolutionary Flame', 'Seded' for short) was a communist organization in [[Ethiopia]], formed in 1976 by a group of officers of the [[Derg]] military junta who had attended political trainings in the [[Soviet Union]] from 1975 and onwards.<ref name="clap67"/>

Seded was set up in August 1976 by [[Mengistu Haile Mariam]] and 15 other Derg members.<ref name="shinn"/> Mengistu was the titular chairman of Seded. The key organizer of the group was, however, Legasse Asfew (a former sergeant).<ref name="clap67"/> The political programme of the group was elaborated at the time of its founding.<ref>Tiruneh, Andargachew. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ABbnAd0oWokC&pg=PA133 The Ethiopian Revolution 1974-1987 : a Transformation from an Aristocratic to a Totalitarian]''. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1995. p. 133</ref> Through the launching of Seded, Mengistu hoped to be able to challenge the influence of the [[All-Ethiopian Socialist Movement]] (Meison) in the urban dwellers' associations (''kebeles'').<ref name="shinn">Shinn, David H., and Thomas P. Ofcansky. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ep7__RWqq4IC&pg=PA344 Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia]''. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 344</ref>

Seded was the key instrument of the Derg to gain control over POMOA. However, the admission of Seded into POMOA caused dissent in the coalition. Meison and Ichat saw the entry of Seded as a threat to their own control over the structure. Malerid and Waz League, on the other hand, supported the entry of Seded as a counterweight to Meison and Ichat.<ref name="clap67">clap, 67</ref>


Founded by Mengistu and 15 other Derg members in August 1976. Challenged Meison in kebeles. Cuba trained militaries.<ref>Shinn, David H., and Thomas P. Ofcansky. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ep7__RWqq4IC&pg=PA344 Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia]''. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 344</ref>
Founded by Mengistu and 15 other Derg members in August 1976. Challenged Meison in kebeles. Cuba trained militaries.<ref>Shinn, David H., and Thomas P. Ofcansky. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ep7__RWqq4IC&pg=PA344 Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia]''. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 344</ref>


Programme launched in August 1976.<ref>Tiruneh, p. 133</ref>
Programme launched in August 1976.


Founded in October 1976. First led by Alemayehu Haile. In February 1977 Legasse Asfaw took over the leadership of the organization.<ref>Abraham, Kinfe. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ZAqVZwjScw0C&pg=PA81 Ethiopia, from Bullets to the Ballot Box: The Bumpy Road to Democracy and the Political Economy of Transition]''. Lawrenceville, NJ: Red Sea Press, 1994. p. 81</ref>
Founded in October 1976. First led by Alemayehu Haile. In February 1977 Legasse Asfaw took over the leadership of the organization.<ref>Abraham, Kinfe. ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=ZAqVZwjScw0C&pg=PA81 Ethiopia, from Bullets to the Ballot Box: The Bumpy Road to Democracy and the Political Economy of Transition]''. Lawrenceville, NJ: Red Sea Press, 1994. p. 81</ref>

Revision as of 18:51, 16 January 2012

Abyotawit Seded (Template:Lang-am, 'Revolutionary Flame', 'Seded' for short) was a communist organization in Ethiopia, formed in 1976 by a group of officers of the Derg military junta who had attended political trainings in the Soviet Union from 1975 and onwards.[1]

Seded was set up in August 1976 by Mengistu Haile Mariam and 15 other Derg members.[2] Mengistu was the titular chairman of Seded. The key organizer of the group was, however, Legasse Asfew (a former sergeant).[1] The political programme of the group was elaborated at the time of its founding.[3] Through the launching of Seded, Mengistu hoped to be able to challenge the influence of the All-Ethiopian Socialist Movement (Meison) in the urban dwellers' associations (kebeles).[2]

Seded was the key instrument of the Derg to gain control over POMOA. However, the admission of Seded into POMOA caused dissent in the coalition. Meison and Ichat saw the entry of Seded as a threat to their own control over the structure. Malerid and Waz League, on the other hand, supported the entry of Seded as a counterweight to Meison and Ichat.[1]

Founded by Mengistu and 15 other Derg members in August 1976. Challenged Meison in kebeles. Cuba trained militaries.[4]

Programme launched in August 1976.

Founded in October 1976. First led by Alemayehu Haile. In February 1977 Legasse Asfaw took over the leadership of the organization.[5]

Founded on Mengistu's initiative, to combat Meison in urban kebeles. Largely military membership.[6]

Seded held 4 of 15 seats in the Politburo in 1976.[7]

Seded was a clandestine group, known by the name of its publication.[8] Existence of Seded never publicly acknowledged.[9]

Derg was suspisous of Meison's influence in different sectors (such as education). Seded sought to displace Meison as the chief political adviser to Derg. Officers linked to Seded were sent to Soviet Union, East Germany and Cuba for political training.[10]

Regarding the national question Seded recognized the right to national self-determination in principle, but saw practical constraints for its implementation.[11]

By 1977 1,000s of Ethiopian military personel had passed through training courses in the Soviet Union, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. The graduates of these courses formed the backbone of the Seded group.[12]

Seded also won support amongst high-level civil servants, who either felt threatened by the influence of Meison, supported the intervention of the army into politics or had links to Derg officials.[13]

After the split between Meison and Derg in August 1977 a series of Meison leaders were assassinated. Seded members were suspected of being behind these killings. Seded cadres were placed in the leadership of the Yekatit '66 Political School, which had been under the control of Meison.[1]

Whereas the top leaders of Meison were killed many second-rank cadres of Meison joined Seded and obtained prominent government positions.[14]

After the split with Meison, a Seded cadre Lt. Desta Tadesse was placed as general secretary of POMOA.[15]

After the elimination of Meison and Ichat, Seded was the largest political organization in the pro-Derg coalition.[16]

Imaledih was founded on February 26, 1977, by five organizations: All-Ethiopian Socialist Movement (Meison), Ethopian Oppressed People's Revolutionary Struggle (Ichat), Ethiopian Marxist-Leninist Revolutionary Organization (Malerid), Waz League and Revolutionary Flame (Seded).[17][18][19] These were the same organizations that had formed the Provisional Office for Mass Organizational Affairs (POMOA).[20][21]

In the views of the Derg, the Imaledih project was a failure. The Derg began seeking other ways to form a vanguard party.[20] However, even as of September 1978 President Mengistu still maintained the position that the new party would emerge out of Imaledih. In his Revolution Day speech he argued that 'the foremost slogan of the day is "Let the Common Front of Ethiopian Marxist-Leninist Organizations evolve into merger!"' Mengistu's position on Imaledih changed soon thereafter, as claims were made that Waz League had infiltrated Seded and come to occupy leading posts in Seded.[21]

The member organizations of Imaledih were crushed by the Derg.[22] Meison was banned. The smaller civilian factions (Malerid, Ichat and Waz League) were suppressed. Even Seded, Mengistu's own group, was disbanded.[22]

  1. ^ a b c d clap, 67
  2. ^ a b Shinn, David H., and Thomas P. Ofcansky. Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 344
  3. ^ Tiruneh, Andargachew. The Ethiopian Revolution 1974-1987 : a Transformation from an Aristocratic to a Totalitarian. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1995. p. 133
  4. ^ Shinn, David H., and Thomas P. Ofcansky. Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 344
  5. ^ Abraham, Kinfe. Ethiopia, from Bullets to the Ballot Box: The Bumpy Road to Democracy and the Political Economy of Transition. Lawrenceville, NJ: Red Sea Press, 1994. p. 81
  6. ^ Clapham, Christopher, and George D. E. Philip. The Political Dilemmas of Military Regimes. London: Croom Helm, 1985. p. 272
  7. ^ paradox, 137
  8. ^ Generation II, p. 109
  9. ^ Ottaway, Marina, and David Ottaway. Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution. New York: Africana Pub. Co, 1978. p. 187
  10. ^ Keller, Edmond J. Revolutionary Ethiopia: From Empire to People's Republic. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988. p. 199
  11. ^ clap, pp. 198-199
  12. ^ clap, 224
  13. ^ Ottaway, Marina, and David Ottaway. Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution. New York: Africana Pub. Co, 1978. p. 188
  14. ^ Marcus, Harold G. A History of Ethiopia. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. p. 200
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference clap68 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Connell, Dan. Taking on the Superpowers: Collected Articles on the Eritrean Revolution, 1976-1982. Trenton, NJ: Red Sea Press, 2003. p.
  17. ^ Harjinder Singh. Agricultural Problems in Ethiopia. Delhi, India: Gian Pub. House, 1987. p. 187
  18. ^ Uhlig, Siegbert. Encyclopaedia Aethiopica 3 He - N. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2007. 668
  19. ^ Eide, Øyvind M. Revolution and Religion in Ethiopia: A Study of Church and Politics with Special Reference to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus 1974-1985. Uppsala: [Svenska institutet för missionsforskning], Univ, 1996. p. 180
  20. ^ a b Haile-Selassie, Teferra. The Ethiopian Revolution, 1974-1991: From a Monarchical Autocracy to a Military Oligarchy. London [u.a.]: Kegan Paul Internat, 1997. pp. 230-231
  21. ^ a b Clapham Christopher. Transformation and Continuity in Revolutionary Ethiopia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. pp. 68-69
  22. ^ a b Milkias, Paulos. Haile Selassie, Western Education, and Political Revolution in Ethiopia. Youngstown, N.Y.: Cambria Press, 2006. p. 266
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