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Hamid Idris Awate

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Hamid Idris Awate Hamid Idris Awate Hamid Idris Awate (1910–1962) was a leader in the early movements for Eritrean independence. Hamid fired the first shot against the Ethiopian government forces on the 1st of September 1961 at Mount Adal. He went on to create the Eritrean Liberation Army (the armed wing of the Eritrean Liberation Front. He died on May 28, 1962. Wounded in his last battle death may have been due to battle wounds, though some claim it was from natural causes. He was buried near Haykota, Gash Barka. A statue was erected by the Government of Eritrea on the 1st of September 1994 at his grave site.[1] Hamid Idris Awate was born in 1910 at Gerset, located between Tessenei and Omhajer in southwestern Eritrea. His father was a peasant and owned a rifle. Awate was trained by his father to use that gun. At an early age, he was a skillful fighter who achieved superiority in the use of arms that gained him the respect of his generation. Awate was known to be a man of moral values and a good example to follow and trust. He was a great leader. In 1935, he was conscripted by the Italians to serve in the colonial army of the Eritrean Ascari. Beside his fluency in Arabic, Tigre, Tigrina, Nara, Hedareb, and Kunama, Awate learned the Italian language within a short period of time and was sent to Rome for a course in military intelligence.[2] After returning from Italy, he was appointed as a security officer in western Eritrea. Shortly after, he served as deputy chief of the city of Kassala, Sudan and its surroundings during the brief Italian occupation of that city in 1940/1941.[3] He fought as an ascari in the Battle of Cheren and participated to the Italian guerrilla in Eritrea against the British and Ethiopians in World War II with the cavalrymen of Ali Gabre. At an early age, Awate was known for his leadership capability. He coupled this with his national consciousness and awareness of his people’s problems and concerns. He was the most respected individual in the Gash-Barka region. Many instances are told about his courage and how he was able to fight back when attacked by colonial police and assassins. At the end of World War II, the British soldiers who were searching for arms in western Eritrea had, in the process, confiscated properties and killed cattle of the localities in Gash-Setit and Barka areas. In self-defense, Awate killed one of the soldiers. The British authorities accused Awate of murder and he lived as a fugitive for some time. In the meantime, he was defending his people against the British and bandits (shifta) who crossed the border from the Sudan and from other parts of Eritrea and Ethiopia, who to raided the properties of the people in the Gash-Barka region. Awate commanded a group of 40 gunmen who actively operated against the British forces causing heavy losses among them. Aware of his great influence and role, the British colonial authorities decided to negotiate with Awate in order to avoid regrettable developments. A peace deal was reached and the violent clashes came to a stop. When the Ethiopian government broke the terms of the UN Resolution of theFederation of Ethiopia and Eritrea, reducing Eritrea to the status of an occupied country, the Eritrean people rose up, showing their objections. The Emperor’s government responded with torture, intimidations, imprisonments, and killings. Being a man of initiative, Awate didn’t leave events to take course according to the aggressors. He decided to take action to restore stolen rights; but he was waiting for the right time .
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