KASSA, ABARA
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Abara Kassa (1905-December 21, 1936) was a commander of Ethiopian forces during the Italian invasion of 1935-36. He played a leading role in the abortive attempt to recapture Addis Ababa in July 1936, and was later executed by the Italians.
He was the second son of Leul-Ras (prince) Kassa Haylu, and a grandson of King Sahla Selassé of Shawa. He was educated in Ethiopian ecclesiastical schools, and also studied French in an Ethiopian government school. Later, he was appointed a member of the senate of the first Ethiopian parliament in 1931, and acted as governor of the Salalé district of norther Shawa for his father.
Upon the outbreak of the Italo-Ethiopian war in 1935, he fought in Tegré, commanding his father’s troops from Salalé, north of Addis Ababa. After the defeat of the Ethiopian forces in Tegré, and their retreat to Addis Ababa he was stationed to guard Salale. After the Italian occupation of Addis on May 5, 1936, he and his youngest brother, Dajazmach Asfa Wassan, gathered troops to resist the Italians outside the city.
The Italians tried to win him over to their side by sending him letters and delegating influential elders to ask him to surrender peacefully. He did not reply to these overtures, but instead he and his brother continued to raise troops to attempt to recapture Addis Ababa. The two men sent emissaries to various resistance leaders, and made plans to attack the capital on all sides by July 28. The Italians learned of their plan from collaborators, and alerted their troops. They then foiled the attempt by spreading rumors that the date for the attack had been changed. This delayed the movements of some of the patriots and caused what appeared to Abara Kassa to be insubordination. When the population of Salalé disobeyed his orders to march, he attacked Addis Ababa with only a few followers, accompanied by his brother and the Abuna Pétros, bishop of Harar. He withdrew defeated, leaving Abuna Pétros a captive in in Italian hands.
His army’s insubordination, and the failure of his attempt, led him to negotiate with the Italians, promising to submit if they would spare his life and Salalé. But his failure to submit promptly had made the Italians suspicious of his intentions. They felt he was playing for time, especially since those patriots who were ignorant of his dealings with the Italians still followed him. When the patriots became aware of his negotiations, several deserted his camp. He finally decided to surrender, but the Italians did not spare his life. He was executed on December 21, 1936.
TSEHAI BERHANE SELASSIE
