Will Justice Finally Be Served for Ethiopia’s Mengistu After Mugabe's Ouster?

The stunning transition of power on November 21, 2017 ended Mugabe’s 37-year, iron-fisted rule, with his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa ushering in a new era in the country.

The power shift was to fulfill a number of goals, Deutsche Welle cited major general SB Moyo as saying, namely ending social and economic suffering and bringing criminals to justice.

This primarily concerns Ethiopia’s Marxist ex-leader, who is ultimately expected to be brought to justice. Mugabe gave Haile Mariam a residence permit after the latter fled his home country in 1991, in the hopes that the experienced former Ethiopian leader would train and arm Zimbabweans.

In an attempt to suppress their political rivals, in an operation dubbed the "Red Terror", Mengistu’s circle allegedly killed about half a million people, including the last Ethiopian emperor.

Though convicted in absentia to life in prison, Mengistu, Mugabe’s then adviser on security issues, was not handed over to the new Ethiopian authorities in 2006, when the latter filed a request.

Social media users are increasingly asking about the fate of the 80-year-old Mengistu following Mugabe’s ouster:

Many strongly demand the alleged perpetrator to be forcefully extradited and taken to a court of law to face justice, at long last:

READ MORE: Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa Unlikely to Deliver on Economic Policy Promises