Dictators · Head-to-head
Saddam Hussein vs Mengistu Haile Mariam
Yes — based on their recorded years, Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) and Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937–) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
Saddam Hussein
An Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until his overthrow during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Key achievements
- Served as president of Iraq from 1979 until 2003
- Led the Iraqi Ba'ath Party as a leading proponent of Ba'athist ideology
- Held power through multiple regional conflicts, including the Iran-Iraq War
- Was removed from power during the 2003 United States-led invasion of Iraq
Fast fact
Saddam Hussein previously served as Iraq's vice president before becoming president in 1979.
Full profile of Saddam Hussein →Mengistu Haile Mariam
A military officer and Marxist-Leninist revolutionary who led Ethiopia's ruling Derg junta and was later convicted in absentia of genocide for the Red Terror campaign.
Key achievements
- Rose to power as chairman of the Derg, the Marxist-Leninist military junta that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974
- Served as head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991
- Presided over the Red Terror, a violent political purge that killed tens of thousands of Ethiopians
- Was convicted in absentia of genocide by an Ethiopian court in 2006 after fleeing into exile in Zimbabwe
Fast fact
Mengistu was convicted in absentia by an Ethiopian court in 2006 of genocide for the Red Terror, a brutal campaign of political repression that killed tens of thousands of Ethiopians during his rule.
Full profile of Mengistu Haile Mariam →Who lived first, Saddam Hussein or Mengistu Haile Mariam?
Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) lived first, before Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937–), based on their recorded years.
Were Saddam Hussein and Mengistu Haile Mariam contemporaries?
Yes — based on their recorded years, Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) and Mengistu Haile Mariam (1937–) were alive at the same time for at least part of their lives.
What do Saddam Hussein and Mengistu Haile Mariam have in common?
Both Saddam Hussein and Mengistu Haile Mariam are grouped among our Dictators figures and lived during the Modern Era.