Military The Derg army had significant role in the government and enforcing law since the establishment. By 1976, the Soviet and Derg relations strengthened with the Soviet aided the Derg military with arms. Together with the Cuban soldiers, the military gained support against Somali Democratic Republic during the Ogaden War. According to the United States State Department report in May 1977, 50 Cuban advisors trained Ethiopian troops to combat, while another report in July stated that 3,000 Cubans were in Ethiopia with one Eritrean Liberation Front officer there. By the fall of the Derg, the army of the Derg were only 45,000 troops which disintegrated shortly afterwards. PMAC Standing Committee (January 1985) Chairman Mengistu Haile Mariam Secretary-General Lt.-Col. Fikre Selassie Wogderess Deputy Secretary-General Col Fisseha Desta Military Affairs Lt.-Gen. Tesfaye Gebre Kidan Security Tekla Tulu Development and Planning Addis Tedla Party Organization Legesse Asfaw Administrative and Legal Affairs Wubshet Dessie Other members Genesse Wolde-Kidan Endale Tessema Kassahun Tafesse Birhanu Bayeh See also History of Ethiopia Vice President of Ethiopia Notes References Bahru Zewde. 2001. A History of Modern Ethiopia (second edition). London: James Currey. Henze, Paul. 2000. Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia. New York: Palgrave. Ottway, Marina & David. 1978. Ethiopia: Empire in Revolution. New York: Africana External links ETHIOPIA – A Country Study (at the Library of Congress) The Ethiopian Revolution, The Dergue, Civil War and Famine, Ethiopian Treasures "Mengistu found guilty of genocide", BBC News The Economic Policies of Socialist Ethiopia Derg Communism in Ethiopia Communism in Eritrea Factions of the Ethiopian Civil War Government of Ethiopia 20th century in Ethiopia 20th century in Eritrea 1974 establishments in Ethiopia Military dictatorships Communist states Atheist states 1987 disestablishments in Africa 1980s disestablishments in Ethiopia States and territories established in 1974 States and territories disestablished in 1987 Totalitarian states Former socialist republics Provisional governments