Mengistu Haile Mariam is a former Ethiopian military officer and politician who served as the head of state from 1977 to 1991. He was a key figure in the Derg, a Marxist-Leninist military junta that overthrew the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. Mengistu's regime was marked by widespread human rights abuses and a brutal campaign against perceived enemies, known as the "Red Terror." Under Mengistu's leadership, Ethiopia faced significant challenges, including famine and civil war. His government received support from the Soviet Union during the Cold War but ultimately fell in 1991 due to a coalition of rebel forces. After his ousting, Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe, where he has lived in exile.