Gabre Heard[1] or Gebre Heard, (né Gebregziabher Alemseged Abraha,[2][3] nom de guerre "Butcher of Mogadishu"),[4][5] is a former Colonel in the Ethiopian National Defense Force, top party official of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and the supreme commander of Ethiopian military forces in Somalia.
He was in charge of military operations during the Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Somalia from 2006–2008, until his recall to Ethiopia following backlash from the Somali population for war crimes committed by forces under his command.
"[5] After being reportedly confronted by TFG president Abdullahi Yusuf over indiscriminate shelling of neighborhoods in the capital, Gabre allegedly slapped him and held a pistol to his head.
[13] In 2018, Gabre was arrested by Ethiopian police to face charges for war crimes in the Somali Region (aka Ogaden).
[7][14] At the start of the Tigray War during November 2020, the Ethiopian government accused Gabre of treason and issued a warrant for his arrest.