Afawarq Walda Samayat
Encyclopedia
Afawarq Walda Samayat, or Afework Woldesemait, (died 5 November 1935) was an Ethiopian
administrator, and commander.
and Balambaras
Afawarq Walda Samayat was the acting Shum
of Jijiga
. He worked tirelessly to prepare the Ogaden
for war on what was known as the "southern front." Prior to the Battle of Genale Doria
, Balambaras Afawarq Walda Samayat was killed defending Gorahai.
Gorahai was known as an old stronghold of Sayyid
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
(called the "Mad Mullah" by the British
). With approximately three thousand fighters under his command, Afawarq Walda Samayat had turned Gorahai into an armed camp. Bombers of the Italian Royal Air Force
(Regia Aeronautica
) regularly attacked Gorahai and Afawarq himself directed the fire of the lone anti-aircraft gun
, a 37 mm Oerlikon
. The gun was mounted in one of the old-style turret
s of the Mad Mullah's antiquated fort. Afawarq's men quickly learned how to cope with air attacks by diving into deep trenches. In addition, they had sufficient modern arms to thwart assaults on the ground and to inflict heavy losses. Afawarq had even overseen the installation of a minefield
around his positions.
During one of the regular bombings by the Italians, Afawarq was seriously wounded. He refused to be taken to the hospital because he feared that the morale of his men would suffer in his absence. Within 48-hours the wound became gangrenous
and, on 5 November 1935, Afawarq collapsed and died. On 7 November, his fear about the morale of his men proved to be correct and they abandoned Gorahei. He was posthumously promoted to Dejazmach by Emperor
Haile Selassie.
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
administrator, and commander.
Biography
In 1935, at the outbreak of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, GrazmachEthiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
and Balambaras
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
Afawarq Walda Samayat was the acting Shum
Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles
Until the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
of Jijiga
Jijiga
Jijiga is a city in eastern Ethiopia and the capital of the Somali Region of that country. Located in the Jijiga Zone approximately 80 km east of Harar and 60 km west of the border with Somalia, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1,609 meters above sea...
. He worked tirelessly to prepare the Ogaden
Ogaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
for war on what was known as the "southern front." Prior to the Battle of Genale Doria
Battle of Genale Doria
The Battle of Genale Doria was a battle on the "southern front" fought during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted almost entirely of air attacks by the Italian Royal Air Force against an advancing and then withdrawing Ethiopian army under Ras Desta Damtu...
, Balambaras Afawarq Walda Samayat was killed defending Gorahai.
Gorahai was known as an old stronghold of Sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Sayyīd Muhammad `Abd Allāh al-Hasan was a Somali religious and patriotic leader...
(called the "Mad Mullah" by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
). With approximately three thousand fighters under his command, Afawarq Walda Samayat had turned Gorahai into an armed camp. Bombers of the Italian Royal Air Force
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
(Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
) regularly attacked Gorahai and Afawarq himself directed the fire of the lone anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
, a 37 mm Oerlikon
Oerlikon Contraves
Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a division of German armament manufacturer Rheinmetall, created when the company's Oerlikon Contraves unit was renamed on 1 January 2009 and integrated with Rheinmetall's other air-defence products...
. The gun was mounted in one of the old-style turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s of the Mad Mullah's antiquated fort. Afawarq's men quickly learned how to cope with air attacks by diving into deep trenches. In addition, they had sufficient modern arms to thwart assaults on the ground and to inflict heavy losses. Afawarq had even overseen the installation of a minefield
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
around his positions.
During one of the regular bombings by the Italians, Afawarq was seriously wounded. He refused to be taken to the hospital because he feared that the morale of his men would suffer in his absence. Within 48-hours the wound became gangrenous
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
and, on 5 November 1935, Afawarq collapsed and died. On 7 November, his fear about the morale of his men proved to be correct and they abandoned Gorahei. He was posthumously promoted to Dejazmach by Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
Haile Selassie.
See also
- Ethiopian aristocratic and court titlesEthiopian aristocratic and court titlesUntil the end of the monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia: the Mesafint or princes, hereditary nobles, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class; while the Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the nobility...
- Ethiopian Order of Battle Second Italo-Abyssinian WarEthiopian Order of Battle Second Italo-Abyssinian WarEthiopian forces in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War besides the Central Army were mobilized from various provinces under their local leader. According to 1935 Italian intelligence estimates of the Ethiopian provinces and their forces on the eve of hostilities the Ethiopians had an army of 350,000...
- Nasibu EmmanualNasibu EmmanualNasibu Emmanual, also Nasibu Zamanuael, was an army commander of the Ethiopian Empire. Along with his brother Wasane, historian Bahru Zewde groups Nasibu "among the most colourful of the first-generation intellectuals" of Twentieth-century Ethiopia...