Hamid Idris Awate.

First Eritrean
Independance struggle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hamid Idris Awate

Born 10 April 1910

Gerset, Italian Eritrea

Died 28 May 1962 (aged 52)

Haykota, Eritrea Province, Ethiopian Empire

Allegiance Italy (1935–1943)

ELF (1960–1962)

Years of service 1935–1962

Second Italo-Ethiopian War

Battles/wars
Second World War
o East African Campaign

 Battle of Keren
Eritrean War of Independence
o Battle of Adal

Children Kerrar Hamid Awate (son)

Hamid Idris Awate (Tigrinya: ሓምድ እድሪስ ዓዋተ; 10 April 1910 – 28 May 1962) was a
prominent Eritrean guerrilla commander and a symbol of the Eritrean War of
Independence and independence struggle.
Early life in Italian Eritrea

Awate was born in 1910 in Gerset, located between Tessenei and Golluj in
southwestern Italian Eritrea. His father, a peasant, trained him as early as
childhood in the use of guns. Hamid was of Beni-Amer descent.[1][2]
In 1935, Hamid was conscripted by the Italians to serve in the colonial army of
the Eritrean Ascari. Beside his fluency in Arabic, Tigre, Tigrinya, Nara, Hedareb,
and Kunama, Hamid learned the Italian language very well within a short period of
time and was sent to Rome for a course in military intelligence.[3]
After returning from Italy, he was appointed as a security officer in western Eritrea.
Shortly after, he served as deputy chief (Mayor) of the city of Kassala (Sudan) and
its surroundings during the brief Italian occupation of that city in 1940/1941 at the
beginning of World War II.[4] As Mayor of Kassala he promoted the political union of
that city to his country, Eritrea, but Allied offensives at the end of January 1941
forced him to renounce to it.
He fought as an Eritrean ascari in the Battle of Keren during World War II and
participated in the Italian guerrilla campaign in Eritrea against Allied forces with the
cavalrymen of Ali Gabre.
After the Italians were completely pushed out of Eritrea, Hamid settled in western
Eritrea but eventually recruited an army of 50 shiftas and began to raid
the Kunama and Nara tribes from 1942 to 1948. His actions eventually attracted
the attention of the British authorities, who offered a considerable award for his
capture, dead or alive. Afterwards, Hamid and his armed faction surrendered to
British in 1951 after they agreed not to prosecute him for his crimes.[5]
Resistance against Ethiopia
In 1958 a group of Eritrean exiles in Cairo founded the Eritrean Liberation
Movement under Hamid's leadership.[6]
In July 1960, in the city of Cairo, a group of young Eritrean students and
intellectuals held a meeting and formed the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF). The
group consisted of the following men: Idris Mohammed Adem (the president of the
National Assembly of Eritrea); Idris Osman Galaydos (a graduate of law school of
Cairo University); Mohammed Saleh Hummed (a graduate of law school of Cairo
University); Said Hussian (a student of Al-Az'har University in Cairo); Adem
Mohammed Akte (a graduate from University of Cairo) and Taha Mohammed Noor
(a graduate from Italy)
Back home, the Eritrean authorities were suspicious of Hamid's movements and
activities and were watching him closely. Eritrean police forces planned to arrest
Hamid in his village in August 1961. Turki explains that the Ethiopians deployed a
large amount of police forces but their plans were foiled by an Eritrean Muslim
within the Eritrean police who informed Hamid earlier of that plan. Hamid then fled
to Mount Adal located to the west of Agordat.
Hamid's decision to begin armed resistance was reached after a period of long
deliberations with other Muslims. In an interview with Eritrea Al-haditha, issue #75,
second year, pioneer Mohammed Al-Hassan Dohen, a long time friend of Hamid
and Hamid's assistant when he was district chief, says: "In the year 1960, Idris
Mohammed Adem sent a message to Hamid. Hamid Awate told me that Idris
Mohammed Adem was asking him to declare the armed struggle; but he was not
ready for it at that time. After four months, Mohammed Al-Shiekh Daood came and
asked Hamid to declare the revolution. Hamid agreed to lead the armed struggle
and declare the revolution but asked for money and weapons as long as he was
notorious Outlaw. Mohammed Al-Shiekh Daood braved Hamid with old arms, three
five bullet rifles "abu khamsa" and gave him 3 Birr with sugar and tea all was
provided throw Egyptian Muslims. In addition, Ibrahim Mohammed Ali brought two
rifles.
On 1 September 1961, eleven freedom fighters led by Hamid attacked police posts
in the west of Eritrea include one on Mount Adal. A fierce battle ensued between
Hamid's and Eritrean police forces, lasting 30 minutes ending in a stalemate.
Death
On May 27 1962, Awate told his unit that he was not feeling well. His condition
began to deteriorate quickly. It is said that Awate called pioneer Kiboob Hajaj and
gave him his beloved gun emphasizing on the continuation of the revolution. On
the morning of next day, Awate died; his companions buried him secretly and did
not reveal his death until four years later.
A statue was erected by the Government of Eritrea on 1 September 1994 at his
grave site.[7]
On 16 October 2011, Eritrea's national hero, Hamid Idris Awate, was honoured by
the town of Cologno Monzese near Milan which dedicated a tree in his name in the
area within the Aldo Moro Park called "Garden of the Just of the World". Eritrea's
hero Hamid was one of the nine persons who were honoured with dedication of
nine trees for their services and sacrifices for justice. Padre Marino Haile was one
of the attendants of the ceremony at Cologno Monteze. Many friends of Eritrea
attended the ceremony together with Eritrean nationals who included Mr.
Kidanemariam Michael, president of the City Council for Peace of Cologno and Dr.
Seghid Herui.[8]
Even in Italy Hamid is celebrated by the Italo-Eritrean associations.
References
1. ^ Negash, Tekeste. Eritrea and Ethiopia The Federal Experience (PDF). p. 62.
2. ^ Hagos, Tecola W. ""Ethiopia & Eritrea: Healing Past Wounds and Building Strong People-to-
People Relationships" - Disillusionment of International Law and National Strangulations" (PDF).
Ethiomedia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24
January 2015.
3. ^ "Hamid Idris Awate and the Ascari (in Italian)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2015.
Retrieved 29 April 2012.
4. ^ "Photo of Hamid Idris Awate as Eritrean Ascari officer, when he was deputy chief of Kassala
(annexed to Italian Eritrea in 1940)". Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 7
January 2015.
5. ^ Negash, Tekeste. Eritrea and Ethiopia The Federal Experience (PDF). p. 62.
6. ^ Ofcansky, TP Berry, L (2004) Ethiopia, a country study, Kessinger Publishing, P69
7. ^ Killion, Tom (1998). Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-
3437-8.
8. ^ "Hamid Idris Awate honoured by Italian city". Archived from the original on 27 April 2014.
Retrieved 29 April 2012.
External links
 From the Experiences of the ELA
 "Sept.1: Day Of 1st Shot That Led to Eritrea's Independence" Archived 1
January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
 Ascari: I Leoni di Eritrea/Ascari: The Lions of Eritrea, a website in honor of the
Eritrean Ascari
 "In Memory of Awate the History Maker" by Taher Indoul
 "Seeing the image of an Eritrean Hero"