Mengistu Haile Mariam

American  

[meng-gis-too hahy-lee mahr-ee-uhm] / mɛŋˈgɪs tu ˈhaɪ li ˈmɑr i əm /

noun

1. born 1937, Ethiopian political leader: head of state 1977–87; president 1987–91.

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Mengistu Haile Mariam British  

/ mɛŋˈɡɪstuː ˈhaɪlɪ ˈmɑːrɪəm /

noun

1. born 1937, Ethiopian soldier and statesman; head of state from 1977 until 1991 when rebels seized power and he fled into exile

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Example Sentences

He talked his way past the armed guards and was able to watch as longtime dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam boarded a plane and quietly fled the country as rebels closed in on him.

From Reuters • Jul. 3, 2022

Thirty years ago, when Ethiopia set up a Special Prosecutor's Office to try officials of the ousted military regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, it was decided to use genocide charges for political killings.

From BBC • May 28, 2021

After years of fighting, the TPLF—which supports self-determination for Tigray—succeeded in overthrowing dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991 and led Ethiopia as a whole for the next 27 years.

From Slate • Mar. 9, 2021

As a teenager, he worked as a radio operator in the fight to end the 13-year dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2020

But it seemed increasingly likely that Jammeh — following the example of deposed African leaders such as Ethiopia’s Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Central African Republic’s François Bozizé — would spend his retirement in exile.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2017