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Dejazmach "Geday" Mengesha Abuye of Wello, one of the forgotten great Arbegna/heroes of the resistance against the Italian invasion in 1935; Famously monikered as "The Jet Killer" (Thread)
"እኔ በወሎ ሰው የለም
ጄነራል ገዳይ መንገሻ አቡዬ"
"እኔ በወሎ ሰው የለም
ጄነራል ገዳይ መንገሻ አቡዬ"
Mengesha Aboye was born in the Albuko region, south of Dessie in Southern Wello. He was the nephew of Dejazmach Biriye Adame, who was one of the nobels who helped Menelik II escape from imprisonment by Tewodros in Megdela in 1865.
Mengesha's wife, Lakech Demisew, was the great-granddaughter of King Sahle Selassie of Shewa. She was famously fearless, defying cultural customs by wearing men's army uniforms & carrying her rifle everywhere. They marched north, fighting at Maychew, Amba Alage & Tembien together
The married couple led the many of the northern fronts before they were beaten back by the Fascists use of Illegal Mustard Gas at the Battle of Maychew
Together they retreated back to Albuko and secretly re-organized forces of resistance in Guerrilla warfare.
Together they retreated back to Albuko and secretly re-organized forces of resistance in Guerrilla warfare.
From Albuko, Mengesha & his forces specialized in anti-aircraft warfare, successfully shooting down several Italian fighter planes that carried the lethal mustard gas. He was monikered "የጄቱን ገዳዬ" or "the jet killer".
One day, Mengesha met with one of leading collaborators, General Meareg Mekonnen in talks of joining him & the other bandas. In reality, Mengesha was awaiting opportunistically for the chance to take out many of the Bandas, whom he greatly despised that were serving the Italians
Instead, in a surprise attack, Mengesha and his forces killed Meareg and over 750 local collaborators, stripping them of their weapons & ammunition given to them by the Fascists, greatly increasing their military strength & adversely, enraging the Italians.
In retribution, they bombed Albuko & much of Wello. Mengesha retreated to Gojjam, joining Belay Zeleke and Hailu Belew in the Patriotic resistence, while Lakech went to Gurageland, joining Bekele Weya & launched her own resistance efforts from there.
From there, they launched several attacks in Bichena & Amhara Sayint, terrorizing enemy strongholds & inflicting heavy casualties while systemically destroying communication lines
It was from this that locals mused
"እኔ በወሎ ሰው የለም
ጄነራል ገዳይ መንገሻ አቡዬ"
It was from this that locals mused
"እኔ በወሎ ሰው የለም
ጄነራል ገዳይ መንገሻ አቡዬ"
The Emperor, who had been in exile, was now camped in Sudan, and sent Mengesha several arms and money to expand the resistance from Gojjam into Amhara Sayint and the rest of Wello, while he was awaiting a passage of return into the country into Gojjam through the West border.
Armed with the Emperors aid, he and his followers, alongside the British successfully took broke several enemy lines in the central part of Ethiopia, taking control of key routes and passages through Shewa & Dessie before they were completely defeated and ousted from Wello.
Upon Italy's complete defeat in 1941 and the Emperor's return, Haile Selassie awarded Mengesha Aboye with a grand medal of honor and valour.
A district High School remains named after him in Albuko today
A district High School remains named after him in Albuko today
