General Aman responded with a personal campaign to seek support outside Derg, among the rest of the army and the country where he was popular. On 15 November, he sent a message to all military units that was highly critical of Derg. During a general assembly of the Derg two days later, Mengistu Haile Mariam demanded that 5,000 men be dispatched to Eritrea and six imprisoned Imperial officials be executed; Aman Andom refused, resigned his official posts and retired to his house where he secretly sent appeals to his supporters, especially those in the Third Division.