Men ‧ gis ‧ tu, Hai ‧ le Ma ‧ ri ‧ am /meŋˈɡɪstuː, ˈhaɪli ˈmɑːriəm/ BrE AmE
(1937–) an Ethiopian soldier who took control of the government in 1977. He was defeated in 1991 by opposing military forces after years of ↑ civil war had caused many deaths and an extreme lack of food in the country.