Downfall of the Derg (holiday)

National holiday in Ethiopia celebrating on 28 May

The Downfall of the Derg (Amharic: ደርግ የወደቀበት ቀን) is a national holiday in Ethiopia celebrated on 28 May in commemoration of the fall of communist military junta Derg by the rebel coalition Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1991. The day also pay homage to victims of the Ethiopian Civil War casualties and the Red Terror. Visitors often visited memorial places in this day such as "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa.

References

"Downfall of the Derg in Ethiopia in 2023 | by Office Holidays". www.officeholidays.com. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
^ "Derg Downfall Day 2023, 2024 and 2025 in Ethiopia". PublicHolidays.africa. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
"Fall of the Derg". Salambo in Addis. 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
"Ethiopia celebrates downfall of Marxist 'Derg' regime". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2022-07-28.

Background

Scramble for Africa	Italian colonialism Italo-Ethiopian Wars 1887–89 First 1935 crisis Second Italian East Africa WWII Ethiopian–Eritrean Federation Eritrean loss of autonomy
Opposition to Haile Selassie	Ethiopian Empire Mekwanint Gugsa Wale's rebellion Woyane rebellion 1958 Tigray famine Ethiopian Student Movement 1972–1975 Wollo famine 1960 coup attempt
Other factors	Cold War 1973 oil crisis Ethnic discrimination Land reform Neftenya Pan-Somali nationalism

War

Prelude	Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991) Ethiopian Revolution Timeline 1974 coup d'état
Major events	Villagization Massacre of the Sixty Death of Haile Selassie Red Terror 1983–1985 famine Peasant revolution Hawzen massacre Fall of the Derg regime
Related conflicts	Eritrean Civil Wars (1972–74; 1980–81) Oromo conflict (1973–present) Ethiopian–Somali conflict Ogaden War (1977–78) 1982 border war Somali Rebellion (1978–1991) Somaliland War of Independence (1981–1991)

Impact

Casualties	Casualties of the Ethiopian Civil War Massacres in the Eritrean War of Independence
Aftermath	Somali Civil War Djiboutian Civil War Eritrean independence Eritrean–Ethiopian War Trials of the Derg members
Memorials	"Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum Downfall of the Derg (holiday)

Groups

Governments	The Derg People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Ethiopian rebels	EPRDF Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement Tigray People's Liberation Front Afar Liberation Front All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement Ethiopian Democratic Union Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Army Ogaden National Liberation Front Oromo Liberation Front Western Somali Liberation Front
Eritrean rebels	Eritrean Liberation Front (1961–1981) Eritrean People's Liberation Front (1970–1991)