Home / Quotes / Quote by Mengistu Haile Mariam

Quote by Mengistu Haile Mariam

“I am a revolutionary; my life is dedicated to freeing the people.”

Quote by Mengistu Haile Mariam

Author

Mengistu Haile Mariam

Mengistu Haile Mariam was a significant Ethiopian politician who served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. Born on May 21, 1937, he led a period of radical social and economic reforms, as well as a brutal civil war that lasted for over a decade. more

You May Also Like

“When we planned our country's economic development, we had the strategic objective of our Revolution in mind. It was not planned for economic development [to be] solely an end in itself. There are some who have forgotten that the sole basis of our revolutionary struggle was the ideology and politics which we follow.”

Mind Ends Country Struggle Economic Revolution Development Bases Forgotten Objectives Our Country Ideology Revolutionary Sole Strategic Economic Development

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“Henceforth we will tackle our enemies that come face to face with us and we will not be stabbed in from behind by internal foes. To this end, we will arm the allies and comrades of the broad masses without giving respite to reactionaries, and avenge the blood of our comrades double - and triple - fold.”

Giving Ends Faces Behinds Enemy Blood Arms Mass Internals Broads Allies Foe Folds Face To Face Comrade Reactionaries Respite

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“One of the fundamental preconditions of successful socialist construction is to ensure the people's readiness to defend themselves from the ravages of probable regional or global wars on the basis of the balance of forces generating from the basic contradictions of our epoch.”

People War Force Successful Balance Bases Fundamentals Contradiction Construction Socialist Readiness Epoch

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“In this country, some aristocratic families automatically categorize persons with dark skin, thick lips, and kinky hair as "Barias" [Amharic for slave]... let it be clear to everybody that I shall soon make these ignoramuses stoop and grind corn!”

Persons Country Dark Clear Hair Skins Slave Lips Thick Corn Grind Stoops Kinky Aristocratic Dark Skin Kinky Hair

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“I'm a military man, I did what I did only because my country had to be saved from tribalism and feudalism. If I failed, it was only because I was betrayed. The so-called genocide was nothing more than just a war in defence of the revolution and a system from which all have benefited.”

Ifs Men War Country Military Revolution Saved Genocide Betrayed Defence Tribalism Feudalism Military Man

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“We thought that the proletariat would eventually run the world. But it is the Americans who have assumed that position... The American people have changed.”

People World Running Position Changed Proletariat

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“Ethiopia did not have the same problem [of corruption]. African leaders looked at us with envy.”

Problem Leader Corruption Envy Ethiopia

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“Mengistu seemed to symbolize the revolution. He was the baria, the slave who overthrew the master, the member of the conquered tribe who got even with the conquerors, the poorly educated son of a servant who rose against the intellectual elite.”

Son Masters Revolution Members Intellectual Rose Slave Educated Servant Elites Tribes Conqueror

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“After Mengistu consolidated his power in 1978, his personality gradually began to change. His ability to listen and his patience faded away. We could now see these qualities were pretences only; he had been putting on his best behavior in his bid for support.”

Ability Quality Support Personality Behavior Faded Pretence

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam

“Everything Mengistu has done since 1977 has been to place himself in a position of uncontestable power. Neither Haile Selassie nor any of the previous emperors had this insatiable thirst for power.”

Has Beens Done Position Thirst Emperor Insatiable Thirst For Power

Author:Mengistu Haile Mariam