Tafari Benti
Tafari Benti (
1921 -
1977) was the president of
Ethiopia (
November 28,
1974 -
February 3, 1977). Along with
Aman Mikael Andom and
Mengistu Haile Mariam, he led the military coup of
September 12, 1974, which deposed Emperor
Haile Selassie.
Following the death of Andom two months later, and a 10-day period in which Mengistu was president, Benti became president. He died in office, either by committing suicide or by being killed by Mengistu, who succeeded him as leader and completed Ethiopia's transformation into a
Marxist country until the fall of the military regime in 1991.
