Abstract:
This biographic study is basically aimed to present a justified reconstruction of the career of
Lieutenant Aklilu Bälaynäh, one of the prominent political figures of Därg from its rise to
collapse. A deacon with a very attractive voice at first was transformed in to a genius military
man within short time. He could get military trainings from foreign military officers like the
Americans and Israelites. He was one of the members of Ethiopian peace keeping force in
Congo Crisis of 1960 to 1964 and he stayed in Eritrea from 1952 to 1970 as a member of the
12th Division to secure the union of Eritrea with Ethiopia. After nineteen years stay in Eritrea,
Lieutenant Aklilu Bälaynäh served as secretary general of the staff of Holätta Gänät Military
Academy till the 1974 Revolution. That was during this time Lieutenant Aklilu Bälaynäh was
assigned as one of the three representatives of this academy to form the Coordinating
Committee, Därg. He was the icon of those army representatives who sought constitutional
monarchy in showing strong affection and sympathy for the monarch. After the downfall of the
imperial regime, Lieutenant Aklilu Bälaynäh became one of the leading proponents of the
revolutionary process. His position as the governor of Gayint Awrajja from 1981 to 1989 was
the golden period in his life since he could achieve several economic and political deeds. He
brought several socialist reforms by using lessons from his visit in the socialist countries. His
remarkable achievements in security, environmental protection, infrastructural developments
in Näfas Mäwuça Town, and Literacy campaign made him unforgettable among the people of
Gayint. He was the only Därg official sentenced for life time detention, yet all other higher
officials were sentenced to death. The data for this study was collected through interviews,
archival studies and document review of both published and unpublished sources. The data
gathered from different sources is checked and rechecked to keep it authentic.