The diary of Agazi soldier
(By an Agazi Soldier in Humera Shaleka)
Translated by Meqdela
It was one hazy dawn in the month of March. It had been more than three weeks since we got back to Ethiopia after completing our mission in Somalia. I am a member of the Humera Regiment of the Agazi Division which was at the forefront of the war in Somalia.
After completing our mission in Somalia in December and January, we were withdrawn from Mogadisu and put in Moyale. Our commanders had promised us all Ethiopian soldiers would be withdrawn from Somalia soon. We believed we were never going to return to Somalia.
That day, however, we were ordered to be ready to go back. Mogadisu had returned to disaster and a surge of Ethiopian troops was needed. Many of the soldiers in the Army didn’t want to go back; but as soldiers we had no option but to obey the orders of our commanders.
The following day we heard 120 soldiers amongst us escaped from the camp. We knew they would be captured soon. The Wogagen Regiment of the Agazi Division was dispatched immediately. The road leading to Addis Ababa and the major towns in the way were sealed, all buses and trucks searched. We heard that even farm lands were inspected. Sixty one were caught within two days.
A week after we were ordered to be ready, our regiment was dispatched to Mogadishu. Mogadishu was completely changed within two months. Even in the North, people were hostile to us. These were the same people who greeted us warmly when we arrived in Mogadishu first time. It is a torture. We were shelled incessantly. As we didn’t know when the mortar fires were coming, we had to stay day and night awake. We stopped smoking cigarettes because it was too dangerous to buy cigarettes from shops in Mogadishu. Some soldiers were attacked with knives when they try to light their cigarettes in shops. Women, children, all were hostile. We didn’t know who our enemies were.
In Mogadishu, if you see a weak-looking man with no teeth, having lost them chewing Chat, and you think that he is harmless, you are dead. Attacks can come from anywhere. If you stop to pee on the street, people will fire at you. When you follow them, they will get in houses and most of the time what you find in those houses are women and children. Mogadishu is hell.
Translated by Meqdela
It was one hazy dawn in the month of March. It had been more than three weeks since we got back to Ethiopia after completing our mission in Somalia. I am a member of the Humera Regiment of the Agazi Division which was at the forefront of the war in Somalia.
After completing our mission in Somalia in December and January, we were withdrawn from Mogadisu and put in Moyale. Our commanders had promised us all Ethiopian soldiers would be withdrawn from Somalia soon. We believed we were never going to return to Somalia.
That day, however, we were ordered to be ready to go back. Mogadisu had returned to disaster and a surge of Ethiopian troops was needed. Many of the soldiers in the Army didn’t want to go back; but as soldiers we had no option but to obey the orders of our commanders.
The following day we heard 120 soldiers amongst us escaped from the camp. We knew they would be captured soon. The Wogagen Regiment of the Agazi Division was dispatched immediately. The road leading to Addis Ababa and the major towns in the way were sealed, all buses and trucks searched. We heard that even farm lands were inspected. Sixty one were caught within two days.
A week after we were ordered to be ready, our regiment was dispatched to Mogadishu. Mogadishu was completely changed within two months. Even in the North, people were hostile to us. These were the same people who greeted us warmly when we arrived in Mogadishu first time. It is a torture. We were shelled incessantly. As we didn’t know when the mortar fires were coming, we had to stay day and night awake. We stopped smoking cigarettes because it was too dangerous to buy cigarettes from shops in Mogadishu. Some soldiers were attacked with knives when they try to light their cigarettes in shops. Women, children, all were hostile. We didn’t know who our enemies were.
In Mogadishu, if you see a weak-looking man with no teeth, having lost them chewing Chat, and you think that he is harmless, you are dead. Attacks can come from anywhere. If you stop to pee on the street, people will fire at you. When you follow them, they will get in houses and most of the time what you find in those houses are women and children. Mogadishu is hell.
posted by Ethio-zagol post contributors at
12:55 AM
8 Comments:
We need to know more ,if it is possible, about the state of the army:they are human beings too.They ,definitely, know when they have to exercise their utmost duity-when the country is attacked by outsiders.They ,like most ethiopians , can see clearly that they don't have any business of interferring in the affairs of other nations;alougth,their circumstances will not permit to do any thing but to obey orders.What is more, they know that the majourity of Ethiopians are against the war,added with this is the prospect of fighting in an area where every one is your potential enemy.-with the high chance of exposure to immediate threat.This is good news ,even though ,some are still reluctant to admitt the fact that the military is weighing its option of dessertion.
It is so amazing how you guys have become so creative and inventive in the world of politics. However the reality and the demand of the poor people in Ethiopia is not in your area of interest. Can you somehow direct your potential and creativity to bread making so that you can be helpful and productive for millions of people in need of something to eat.
What an interesting Lib-Woled... Somehow I just don't see this coming from a real soldier. It seems ever so perfectly knitted.
Good Job, publish the "diary" and I will look for it in the Fictions section at my local book store.
I enjoyed the true-story, an account of a soldier. why would he be serving the TPLF regime knowingly its bad and doing harm to the Somalis? How come he is not leaving the military and join the Ethiopian public and fight against TPLF? We need people like him with experience and knowledge. We have his Generals joind our people, his colonels have joined our people how come he is not joining the people of Ethiopia snd fight against TPLF tyranny to free the Ethiopian people?
Ethnicist Amhara?
when I read the letter it sems like very weak fiction military sever is more than this diary and i gusse this diary is not real diary because i am a soljder.
i dont think that woyanes soldger can write even a singl word.they are deaf and blind.they dont know even when they gona die.i can say them that they look like speaking animals that scaping from woyane's zoo.
u the one who said weyane soldiers are speaking animals ; u r bullshit ,stupid . U can not say them so ..they r not like u dish washers and oraters . To tell u the truth ,Ethiopia does not have any one else than weyane and Meles .we know u the liars and talkative s . U the cheaters of history...do u know to whom Ethiopia belongs ? pls be optimist and work not talk. Every body there is beyond u .do not try to mislead people.One thing that u should know is no one cares about u ...keep on crying.U and the like are the main problem to our countries problem. Do not forget that weyane will live forever , try to shape your self do not try to blame weyane from scratch . I am sorry to waste my time by reading your silly comment and visit the web site of u idles , i will not do it gain u can contact me by mail.
closed minded .u do not have the capacity to insult woyane soldiers dedeb.
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