Red Star Campaign

Red Star Campaign (Amharic: ቀይ ኮከብ ዘመቻ, romanized: k’eyi kokeb zemecha), officially known as the Red Star Multifaceted Revolutionary Campaign (Amharic: የቀይ ኮከብ ሁለገብ አብዮታዊ ዘመቻ, lit. 'yek’ey kokeb hulegeb ābiyotawī zemecha') was a 1982 Ethiopian Army offensive and operation during the Ethiopian Civil War aimed at eliminating Eritrean separatist forces, specifically the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF). From February to June of 1982, more than 80,000 Ethiopian troops attempted to crush the EPLF in a series of offensives. Despite the initial tactical successes of the operation, the government made no significant gains in Eritrea. Contrary to crushing the Eritrean will to resist, the unsuccessful operation actually strengthened it, prompting the people to rally behind the EPLF with increased fervor. Red Star dealt a personal and political blow to the regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam.