Belay Zeleke
| Belay Zeleke Belay | |
|---|---|
| Patriot of Ethiopia | |
| House | House of Solomon |
| Born |
c. 1912 Bichena,Gojjam |
| Died |
February 7, 1945 (aged 33) |
| Burial | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Religion | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo |
Early life
Zeleke was born in 1912 in Bichena, Gojjam(Bete Amhara). At a very young age in a mysterious situation, Zeleke killed his uncle which prompted him to flee his village and live as a fugitive isolated from his family and friends for the subsequent 15 years.
Invasion of Ethiopia
In 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Zeleke felt the need to defend his country and led an insurgency movement against the occupation in Gojjam. Soon, he became known for being remorseless among Italian generals and they fought him as hard as they could. Not only did he defeat the Italian army that was sent to destroy him, he also took into custody the army’s general and executed him by hanging.
Liberation of Addis Ababa
The Ethiopian patriots liberated Addis Ababa on 6 May 1941 and this victory officially ended Italian occupation. Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa on 5 May 1941 after spending the preceding five years in exile in Europe. Throughout Ethiopia, — particularly in Addis Ababa — signs of Italian presence in the past are hard to find. Yet with the majority of Ethiopia, there are no physical signs of Italian invasion in the province of Gojjam. It is believed that Zeleke never let the Italian troops camp anywhere in Gojjam let alone build construction to leave a legacy of any sort.
Death
Upon the Emperor’s return from exile to Ethiopia in 1941(the Emperor didn't fire one single bullet during the war), Zeleke was put in charge of a small region in Gojam (imagine a king who was not even involved in a single libration war and who was installed by foreign powers after the war was assigning one of the heroes of the country a district to administer). He declined the position in protest and started living life as an outlaw. Soon he was called by the monarch to Addis Ababa at the mediation of the Pop, then he unjustly arrested and sent to jail accused of being a threat to the monarchy. After making unsuccessful attempts to break out of jail, Zeleke was executed by hanging in Addis Ababa on February 7, 1945. [1][2]
Bileh is an Amharic name sometimes spelled as Belay and pronounced as Bee-Lay. The name means one who is above others or superior, especially in war techniques and warfare . It can be taken as well as one who cares about his country and a winner for himself and his country[3]
References
- ↑ http://www.ethiopianmillennium.com/spirit.html
- ↑ http://abeshaunited.com/index.php/2009/04/belay-zeleke-the-last-hero-of-ethiopia/
- ↑ http://www.meaning-of-names.com/african-names/belay.asp