11/30/2023 0 Comments Ras alula negaritInstead he decided to ensure only the loyalty of the tribes of western Eritrea and returned triumphantly to Asmära. Utman Diqna himself escaped but Alula, his men exhausted, did not advance on Kassala. The Mahdists were slaughtered, estimates ran between 3,000 to 5,500 killed. The day ended with some 1,500 Ethiopians dead, including most of Alula’s commanders. When Alula arrived, he outflanked the Mahdists and forced them to leave their fortifications and storm his main force. Alula’s lieutenant blatta Gäbru was killed in the first assault. On 23 September Utman Diqna’s force (reports ran between 6,000 to 12,000) took up position at Kufit and was attacked by ras Alula’s army of 10,000 to 25,000. The latter was ordered by the Mahdist ţalifa Abdullahi at- Taaiši to “leave the Ethiopians” and turn else- where, but the written message arrived too late. Meanwhile he was already exchanging provocative messages with the Mahdists and Utman Diqna. Though in August the garrison in Kassala surrendered, ras Alula Éngéda was not informed. While Alula was wavering where to turn, the British did their best to divert him away from the Italians into fighting the Mahdists and relieving the Egyptians. However, in February 1885 the Italians, to the Ethiopians’ surprise, landed in Massawa and were preparing to encroach inland. Ras Alula Éngéda, who in late 1884 began building his administration in the Märäb Méllaš around his new capital of smära, was expected by ase Yohannés IV to march on Kassala. The Mahdists also spread their influence among various Eritrean tribes in the Sudanese–Eritrean lowlands as Utman Diqna aimed at controlling the route down to the Red Sea and Massawa. Abi Bakr Diqna, had laid siege to the Egyptian garrison of Kassala, which the Ethiopians under the 1884 Hewett Treaty were committed to rescue (cp. The commander ( amir ) of the Mahdiya in north eastern Sudan, Utman b. On 23 September 1885 a decisive battle between a Mahdiya force (Mahdists) and an Ethiopian army took place at Kufit, half way between Asmära and Kassala (for location s.
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