Repelling foreign invaders and intruders is a century-old culture for Ethiopians. To mention but a few, from the 16th century onward, Ethiopian patriots, regardless of their ethnic, cultural and religious differences, have been scarifying their lives to dislodge intruders.
The defeat of invaders such as Turkish, British (resistance), Dervish, Egyptians and Italians by heroic Ethiopian patriots can be mentioned to substantiate the case in point.
Patriotic leaders rallied fighters from all over the country behind their cause to defend their motherland. Citizen gave uninterrupted, moral and material support which ultimately enabled such freedom fighters to root out the enemy.
However, history of the patriots’ struggle and sacrifices which should be transferred to the successive generations in the form of written documents was not properly compiled. As a result, the generations that tagged along suffered from ignorance of history and identity crises.
Cognizant of these shortcomings, recently Sheki Isa Musa Mufti Omer Usman wrote a book known as “The Desert Storm/Ogaden Ligtning” which narrates the autobiography and patriotic feats or prowess of Dejach Umer Semeter, who fought hard against Italian invaders in the 1920s and 30s in eastern Ethiopia.
The book, bearing 176 pages, was published in June 2023. As the bibliography shows, it used 35 books authored by renowned historians as references. As such, it substantiated well the unflagging battle of the patriots.
In its introductory part, the book explains about the birth place of Umar Semeter in Galkayo town at that time under the administration of the Hobye Sultanate located in the South East Somalia region. He hailed from the Mejertin clan. From elementary up to the higher level he studied Sharia and Islamic doctrines.
In addition, he studied the local culture, history, religion and ways of how repulsing foreign intruders.
In his early years, Umar Semeter served in the Hobye Sultanate administration in various positions. And in due course, he developed self-confidence and personal and religious integrity, which helped him to overcome various challenges in his freedom-thirsty fighting ventures.
As learned from the book, Italy revoked its agreement with the local chiefs to whom it provided with an authority of trust ship to administer the area since 1900. But foxily Italy changed itself into a form of colonizer.
It reduced the local authorities to subordinates under the governorship of Italy. Local residents who opposed Italy’s illegal actions suffered physical harassment and repression but such measures were not tolerable by the local youths. The heinous act rather forced them to rally and start resistance movement against the Italian occupiers.
Italy’s intention was not simply occupying the local areas in the region but also using the place as a launching pad to control the whole Ethiopia.
Alarmed by Italy’s incursion and illegal activities, in 20 May 1900, Ethiopia signed a boarder agreement with Italy.
Nevertheless, Italy did not live up to the agreement and continued its subversive activities.
In the early years of the resistance movement, Umar Semeter showed interest to settle the matter through negotiation with the Italian occupation forces’ officers. But the precondition put by the Italians was shameful and culturally outrageous.
They demanded him to bring 100 Somali girls to give service as housemaids to Italian soldiers. Omar nominally agreed to fulfill their demand but secretly prepared himself and his comrades to assault the soldiers’ Barack, located in a place known as “Eil Bour’’ in central Somalia. Soon he and his ten soldiers entered the barracks secretly, carrying bayonets. They accomplished their freedom mission by killing an Italian colonel and other troops as well as freeing prisoners.
The book further relates that after the “Eil Bour” mission Umar and his parents came to Shilabo, a place located in Ethio-Somali region.
The Italian troops, who pursued the patriots, were ambushed by Umar forces that immediately annihilated the former.
The patriots captured booty and armaments such as military jeep, artillery, machine guns and ammunitions which helped them to build up their operational capacity as well as beef up their military muscle.
Similar to their practices carried out in other Italian colonies, the occupation forces used treasonous local allies to squash the resistance movement but in vain.
Frustrated by their defeat, to revenge Omar, Italians hanged 16 of Umar’s off springs in Mogadishu.
Though the government of Ethiopia tried its level best to resolve the dispute through negotiation, the Italian colonial ambition and territorial excursion were not to be halted. From time to time, the aggression exacerbated and on November 1935 Italy invaded Wolwel town located in the south east of Somali region deploying fighter jets, Tanks and other machine guns.
In the military engagement, Fitawrari Alemayehu Goshu and other 877 soldiers were martyred.
After the Wolwel incident, Ethiopia took the case to the League of Nations but the response of the League was turning a deaf ear because it was dominated by the then self-seeking superpower western countries, which did not show sympathy to Ethiopia.
As to the book, in the later time, Italy showed its consent to resolve the dispute through negotiation putting preconditions.
It mainly demanded the surrender of the valorous Omar semester. Also it requested Ethiopia to compensate Italy paying up to 200000 Lire. Also the demand obligated the expulsion of the commander of the army of the Wolwel front. Funny as it may sound, the request also entailed the governor of Harerghe Province Dejazmach Gebremariam Gare to apologize Italians. All the demands were rejected by Ethiopia.
After Italy was defeated in Adwa in 1896, it was preparing for 40 years to avenge Ethiopia by modernizing its army and weapons. It recruited soldiers in hundreds of thousands both from Italy and from its colonies (local men). Its military was equipped with fighter Jets, Tanks, artilleries and armed vehicles.
On the contrary, Emperor Hailesilasie, arguably, showed ambivalence towards engaging in war. He seemed remiss in defending the territorial integrity of Ethiopia. Homing in on diplomacy, the Emperor greatly trusted the League of Nations. He believed that through collective security act, he could defend the nation’s sovereignty from invaders. That was unrealistic.
The Somali Patriots led by Umar Semeter relentlessly fought the Italian occupation forces for 14 years. Later in 1936 Italian forces finalized preparation for final invasion of Ethiopia. Their command post was located in Mogadishu.
The first Italian target town was “Korahe” located in the Somali region. To defend the invading forces, Dejach Omer Semeter, Kegnazmach Alinour, Dejazmach Afwork Woldesemayat and others with their respective soldiers were on the front line.
In the beginning, the invading forces paid heavy prices in terms of loss of human lives, causalities and property damage.
Later the Italian air force heavily bombarded the patriot’s trenches and wounded Dejazmach Afwork Woldesmayat but the patriots fighting tooth and nail strongly defended their front.
Days later Dejazmach Afework passed away and his soldiers joined other forces led by Umar Semeter, Kegnazmach Alinour and Dejazmach Beyene Merid who came from the Bale front and the Emperor’s daughter princess Romanwork Hailasilasie accompanied the force.
After the war of Korahe, the Ethiopian Patriots fought against the occupation forces and captured Tanks, machine guns and armored vehicles.
The book about the patriot transports readers back to the historical national scenario. For instance, it flashes back to the Adwa battle 40 years ago before amplifying the effort in the course of conducting the patriots struggle. In that war, Somali and other ethnic groups from eastern Ethiopia, regardless of religion and ethnic background, were recruited by Ras Mekonen Woldemichael and fought the invading army.
The biography also indicates that, the two Russian naval force captains that went by the name Daviydove and Dragomirove portrayed the profile and pictures of the Somali Adwa fighters. That time, the members of the Red Cross society of Russia were engaged in providing medical treatment to the wounded men in Harar and in the capital.
The Somali Ugazs namely, Ugaz Farah, Ugaz Umar Husein,Sheki Abubaker Awyusuf and Ugaz Roble under the command of Ras Mekonen marched to Adwa with 20 thousand soldiers and locked horns with the enemy and many of them scarified their lives in the battle of Mekele before the final war took effect .
The book also tells that, amazingly, the Somali patriots who fought in the Adwa battle after the end of the war in 1899/ 1900 returned back to their local areas and met the two aforementioned Russian Naval captains in a place known as Jeldesa camp, a few miles away from Diredawa town.
The patriots there received message of appreciation from Ras Mekonen and celebrated it by performing cultural dances.
The new generation can draw a lot of key lessons from the book, among others. That is, they will have an insight into how the nation is protected and defended from foreign invaders by their forefathers’ scarification and fierce battle. They will have an inkling of how their ancestors fought for their country with no ethnic and religious differences, enthused by the motto of “mother country or death”. The book also helps them to ponder on the fact that Ethiopia thrived on the solid foundation of its citizens’ will. That is citizens with diversified identities that aspired for unity.
BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
The Ethiopian Herald August 30/2023
