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Today marks the Forgotten 124th anniversary of the Massacre of Lafoole by Hawiye, Wacdaan Cismaan warriors, A thread 
Lafoole, a town in Benadir state lived up to its name which it got in the 17th century when the Ajuuran sultanate retaliated against the invasion of Oromos, known as the battles of Gaal Madow, forcing them to leave Somalia.
Lafoole on the 25th/26th November 1896. Wacdaan defended itself from invaders once again, when they massacred many Italian colonialist and soldiers. This was inspired by a Hawiye, Abgaal Cismaan Sheikh called Axmed Xaji, who was from Xamar but hated living there.
This Sheikh hated living in Xamar, because Italians could live & move freely, so he moved to a town on the outskirts called Nimow & here he set up a Jamaaca, preaching against Italian rule, he then moved to Lafoole after an attack by the Italians, intensifying what he preached
Sheikh Ahmed Haji inspired the local Wacdaan Ugaas Hassan Hussein, one of the most powerful men in Lafoole, to join his movement. With this power and influence, these two men managed to grow Anti-Italian ideologies and opposition within Lafoole.
On the 25th November, the Italian government gave permission to Antonio Cecchi who was the main explorer and commander of the Italian troops in Somalia, to go from Xamar to the outskirts and bring the people of Afgooye, Merca, etc to submission.
He commanded that the leaders of Lafoole bring 40 men they could take as hostages incase of a revolt. What Cecchi did not know is that due to the preaching of Sheikh Ahmed, many of the people were Anti-Italian and would not comply to any type of foreign rule.
On the 25th November 1896, when Cecchi and his troops entered Lafoole they were met with Wacdaan warriors who were willing to fight till the end. On this day, many Italians were killed but the people were still not satisfied so the following morning, they attacked again.
By 8am on the 26th, all but 3 Italians were killed in lafoole. Those 3 men, after surrendering were left alone and lived to tell the story. In Rome there was outrage with the media dubbing this event as the ‘Massacre of Lafoole’.
What happened here, had many consequences, one being, it had rippling effects all over the benadir coast. In Xamar over 100 Italians were killed. In Merca, Giacomo Travis, a hated colonialist was killed by Omar Hassan Yusuf, a young Wacdaan man who followed Sheikh Axmed Xaji.
There were also other Sheikhs in cities like Barawe, such as Xaji Abbas who called every man who tolerated Italian moving freely in their land ‘women’.
A shirib traditional dance was created to remember 1896: Shiin digow (teacher) Sheikh Axmed Xaaji
Shiiki (Cecchi) sheydaan mooho?
Shiiki (Cecchi) sheydaan mooho?
Happy November 25th victory day 
and the Wacdaan Mujahids who died defending this country’s honor and pride against Italians will always be remembered 
and the Wacdaan Mujahids who died defending this country’s honor and pride against Italians will always be remembered
