‘On the night of 27 August 1975, I saw Colonel Mengistu Haile | Olio/ማስቲካ-ኳስ

‘On the night of 27 August 1975, I saw Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam together with another person I could not recognise being in the palace before, pacing up and down the corridor near the room where the Emperor was. I prepared a dinner for His Imperial Majesty. Without uttering a word, I offered it to him and he dined quietly and proceeded into his bedroom. I was then told by the authorities that I had to transfer to another room, to which I replied that I can leave only after I inform my move to His Majesty. I was given the permission to notify the Emperor, at which point I went in and informed Him of the decision. The Emperor commented somewhat sardonically, “Well, if this place is too small for them, we will build them a larger palace.” He then commanded me to do as I was told. The Emperor then staggered toward the window facing the Church of Mary. He opened it and said, “Oh, Ethiopia, do you ever harbour ill will toward me?” Tears started to roll down his cheeks.’³⁵

Eshetu was then taken to the guards’ quarters. He was led into a dark room and the door was locked behind him. The next morning the door was opened again and Eshetu went back to the emperor’s rooms to serve him breakfast: ‘I knocked, but there was no answer. As I entered the bedroom, the first thing that struck me was a powerful smell of ether. Then I noticed the emperor lying motionless on his bed. His face had turned a dark blue colour. His pillow was not beneath his head, but immediately next to it. Everything pointed to his having been drugged in his sleep and then suffocated.