On 27 March 1954 Colonel John C. Robinson also known as ‘The Brown Condor’ , the African American Aviator & Aviation instructor who was among Black professionals who offered their services to Ethiopia during the Italo-Ethiopian conflict died of injuries he suffered from a plane crash accident that happened two weeks earlier at the Addis Ababa Airport. He was buried the next day at Gulele cemetery in a large & massive ceremony attended by huge crowd among others Emperor Haile Selassie himself, The Duke of Harrar, Prince Mekonnen Haile Selassie, Military Commanders, Cabinet Ministers and other government officials.

Brigadier General Mengistu Neway who was commander of the Imperial Body Guard and who together with his brother Germame Neway, led an unsuccessful coup against Emperor Haile Selassie was hanged on March 30, 1960in public market after two days Haile Selassie appointed Court ordered for him to be hanged. When the General was told to appeal after the sentencing, he refused and said the following:

“..I shall not appeal, and am quite satisfied… Truly, because some people have died on my account, I feel a certain sorrow, but had God been willing a *coup* would have come about sooner or later… I did all this for the sake of the Ethiopian people and I pray that God [will hold the judgement in His hand]… As to my death, I have been prepared to die since the 4th Tahsas, 1953 [December 13, 1960], and I am quite unmoved that this Court has sentenced me to death…”

To watch a documentary film on this subject as well as to listen to sound recording of the court proceedings including the voice of General Mengistu presenting defending  argument go to Wemezekir blog.