Haile Mariam Mammo (1904 – 6 June 1938), alternatively known as Lej Hayla Maryam Mammo, was an Ethiopian soldier and a leader of the

Patriot movement In the United States, the patriot movement is a term which is used to describe a conglomeration of non-unified right-wing populist, nationalist political movements, most notably far-right armed militias, sovereign citizens, and tax protester ...

(''Arbegnoch'') during the

Italian occupation of Ethiopia Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was an Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. It was formed in 1936 through the merger of Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and the newly occupied Ethiopian Empire, conquered in the Sec ...

. He fought in the

Second Italo-Ethiopian War The Second Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, was a war of aggression which was fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937. In Ethiopia it is often referred to simply as the Itali ...

in 1936 before becoming a resistance leader in his native province of Shewa. He was mortally wounded in battle with the Italians.

Biography

Haile Mariam Mammo was born in 1904 in the village of Ya-Ya Quecama, Selale district,

Shewa Shewa ( am, ሸዋ; , om, Shawaa), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa (''Scioà'' in Italian language, Italian), is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous monarchy, kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. The ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. He was educated at a traditional church school in his village before attending the Tafari Makonnen School in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

. Haile Mariam worked as a farmer in adulthood. He later fathered a son, Zewdie. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, initiating the

. Haile Mariam was wounded on 31 March 1936 during the

Battle of Maychew The Battle of Maychew ( it, Mai Ceu) was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making front ...

. After the Italian victory there, he withdrew to his native region and managed to recruit about 500 locals to his cause. He orchestrated an ambush on an Italian column that was advancing on the capital, Addis Ababa, on 4 May in Chacha, near

Debre Berhan Debre Birhan () is a city in central Ethiopia. Located in the Semien Shewa Zone of Amhara Region, about 120 kilometers north east of Addis Ababa on Ethiopian highway 2, the town has an elevation of 2,840 meters, which makes it the highest to ...

. In the ensuing battle, Haile Mariam's men killed approximately 170 Italian colonial troops and captured four Italians, two of whom were doctors. They were later released. Historian Salome Gebre Egziabher later said that by executing this attack, Haile Mariam had made himself "the first Patriot of

". Nevertheless, Addis Ababa fell to the advancing Italians the next day. As Ethiopian military leaders withdrew, Haile Mariam conducted

hit-and-run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there may be an ...

attacks around the city. He orchestrated resistance in Selale Muger, Debre Berhan, Menz, Tegulet, and Bulga, in northern Selale. Following the surrender of other Patriot leaders in July, Haile Mariam relocated to Tagulet. Haile Mariam's activities caused great frustration among the Italians. General

Ruggero Tracchia Ruggero Tracchia (Rome, 11 June 1884 – 29 November 1955) was an Italian general during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and World War II. He spent most of his career in Italian empire, Italy's African colonies. Biography Early life and care ...

, commander of the Debre Berhan garrison, resorted to calling in reinforcements from surrounding areas to combat the resistance. Haile Mariam's men killed several hundred Italians and seized a substantial number of arms in several engagements. In June 1938 Italian forces encircled

Ankober Ankober (), formerly known as Ankobar, is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the North Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region, it's perched on the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands at an elevation of about . It is to the east of Debr ...

and the surrounding highlands in an attempt to pacify resistance in the region. Haile Mariam was the only Patriot leader who decided to try and effect a breakout and with 500 men he assaulted the Italians in a futile attempt to breach their cordon. He was mortally wounded on 6 June during a major clash at Gorfo, Bulga district.

Legacy

Haile Mariam was respected by his subordinates and other Patriot commanders for his leadership and courage. Following the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941, a school in Debre Berham and a hospital in

Adama Adama ( Oromo: ' or ', Amharic: አዳማ), formerly Nazreth ( am, ናዝሬት), is a city in the central Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the East Shewa Zone southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa, the city sits between the base of an e ...

were built in his memory. A street in Addis Ababa was also named after him. In 1956/1957 Te'ezagu Haylu wrote an eponymous 13-act play about him.

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References

* * * * * * * {{refend 1904 births 1938 deaths Ethiopian military personnel killed in action