Military show of strength as Emperor's power is eroded by army, 19 August 1974

Military show of strength as Emperor's power is eroded by army, 19 August 1974

The army in Ethiopia stripped Emperor Haile Selassie of his remaining powers on Thursday (16 august) and staged a show of strength in the capital, Addis Ababa.

In a broadcast in the Amharic language, the armed forces Coordinating Committee said it was dissolving the Emperor's Crown Council, his Military Advisory Council, and his Court of Justice. Since an army revolt in February, the military has been methodically chipping away at the 82-year-old Emperor's once-absolute power.

To back up their action, the armed forces demonstrated their solidarity by sending tanks, armoured cars and troop carriers through the streets of the capital. A squadron of jet fighters screamed over the Emperor's two palaces.

The broadcast and the military parade was the boldest challenge so far to the Emperor, who has ruled Ethiopia for the last 44 years. In the last year he has faced increasing unrest and dissent in the armed forces and there have been regular political crisis, which have already brought down two governments in the last six months.

Growing public support for the military was evident on Thursday during the parade. Crowds lined the streets, cheering as the armoured columns passed. The Imperial Bodyguard was one of the army units taking part in the parade, which paralysed traffic in the capital. The armoured vehicles returned to the headquarters of the army's fourth division in the city centre, where some 150 former Ministers and government officials, including close advisers of the Emperor, are being held pending military investigations into alleged maladministration and corruption.

SYNOPSIS: On Thursday, the Ethiopian army, cheered on by the crowds, flexed its muscles with a military parade through the streets of Addis Ababa.

The demonstration by the armed forces followed a broadcast by the Armed Forces Committee, which amounted to the strongest attack yet made on the Emperor Haile Selassie. The Broadcast said the military had stripped the Emperor of his Crown Council, his Court of Justice and his Military Committee.

Since an army revolt in February, the military has been methodically chipping away at the eighty-two-year-old Eperor's once-absolute power. Tanks, armoured cars, troop carriers and jeeps took part, manned by army units, including the Imperial Bodyguards, the Air Force, Police and the Territorial Army.

Traffic in the city was paralyse during the parade.

Squadrons of American-built jet fighters, screamed low over the rooftops of the capital and the Emperor's two palaces. The participation of the Air Force was seen as show of solidarity with the more radical factions of the army.

The army now holds some one hundred and fifty former Ministers and government officials pending investigations into alleged maladministration and corruption.