The World - News from May 21, 1989

Thousands of flag-waving, chanting Ethiopians crammed into the capital’s Revolution Square to hail the crushing of an attempted army coup. The crowd in Addis Ababa sang songs praising President Mengistu Haile Mariam and waved banners denouncing the leaders of Tuesday’s attempt to overthrow him, the first publicly known challenge to his 11-year government. The attempted coup, which broke out while Mengistu was on a state visit to East Germany, was put down by loyalist troops backed by a special presidential force of 5,000 soldiers. Two coup leaders and the defense minister were among those killed in the abortive uprising.