Fisshea Desta’s Reminiscence of the Ethiopian Revolution: A Critical Review

Last year, while we were reviewing KhasayAbraha Bisrats’ book , entitled “A Special Love for Assimba” at the National Archives and Library in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, one of the reviewers, Professor GebruTareke, brought to the attention of the audience that in addition to the books written by former President Mengistu Haile Mariam (hereafter Mengistu) and former Prime Minister Fikre Selassie Wegderase (hereafter Fikre Selassie), the former Vice President, Fisshea Desta (hereafter Fisshea, or the author) has written an account of his memories of the Ethiopian Revolution during the Derg’s (an Amharic word for committee) era. During a private conversation, Professor GebruTareke told me that Fisshea’s book would be favorably received by the public and probably would be marketed heavily when compared with the fictitious account of the Derg’s era written by Mengistu and Fikre Selassie. In addition, as Professor Gebru told me, which is now acknowledged by the author on page 4, Professor Gebru had advised the author to be truthful and profoundly search his memory to reconstruct the so-called“ bloodless revolution” that was usurped or snatched by the Derg from the genuine Ethiopian revolutionaries.