WORLD : Ethiopia Executes 12 in ’89 Coup

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia said today that it has executed 12 high-ranking military officers for involvement in a 1989 coup attempt against President Mengistu Haile Mariam.

The Ethiopian news agency said the 12 had been found guilty of high treason and endangering the unity and territorial integrity of the nation.

The 12 included the former head of the army ground forces, Maj. Gen. Hailu Gabre Michael, and former police chief Maj. Gen. Worku Zwede.

Nine generals were killed during the May, 1989, attempted coup by several military commanders who said they wanted a negotiated end to the long-running civil war in northern Ethiopia and formation of a broader-based government. Mengistu was out of the country on a state visit to East Germany, but the coup was crushed by forces loyal to his Soviet-backed government within three days.