He continued to work with the Derg, and would later become mayor of Addis Ababa and a member of the politburo of the Workers Party of Ethiopia.
[5] As the new mayor of Addis Abeba, Alemu defended the 'Red Terror' campaign against the EPRP in a meeting with foreign journalists in February 1978.
The 'Gang of Four' consisted of prominent civilian ideologues in the party hierarchy, in-charge of running the day-to-day affairs of COPWE.
[11] Alemu Abebe would also come to occupy the post of Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for agriculture, of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
[17] On August 10, 2005, Alemu Abebe was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for his role in the Derg rule.