Jagama Kello

Jagama remained in the military, rising to the rank of Lieutenant General. He remained loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie when others deserted him, and was one of a number of officers who refused to participate in the ill-fated coup of 1960. Jagama was also instrumental in crushing a rebellion in the Ogaden during the 1960’s and was rewarded by being appointed provincial military commander.

On 5th May 1941, after years in exile in Britain, the Emperor Haile Selassie returned to his capital. Jagama, who had received no British help during the 5 years of the war, refused to go to Addis Ababa for the ceremony. In the end the Emperor came to Ginchi. Jagama says he put his 3,500 troops on parade, to greet Haile Selassie. He was then driven in the Emperor’s own car to his palace, where he was awarded a gabardine coat and a gold watch. But the war was not yet over. Jimma was still under Italian control. The Emperor asked Jagama for help and he says he led his forces into battle. Reports suggest the area was ‘swarming with Patriots’ – many of whom may have been loyal to Jagama. He told the BBC that his forces captured some 500 Italian soldiers, whom he handed over to the British.

On 2 December 1940, he and his soldiers raided the Italian garrison at Addis Alem. They killed 72 Italians in the engagement and captured over 2,000 rifles.

When the Italians invaded Ethiopia in 1935, at the age of 15 Jagama and his older brother went into the bush to join the Arbegnoch. At first he had no gun – only his elder brother had one. But they ambushed Italian troops and gradually armed themselves. Peasants joined the struggle and by the end of the war they had over 3,000 fighters under their command, his forces were active in the mountainous areas of western Shewa.

Jagama Kello (Oromo: Jaagamaa Keelloo; Amharic: ጃጋማ ኬሎ; 29 January 1920 - 7 April 2017) was an Ethiopian military officer in the Ethiopian Armed Forces.

Jagama Kello was born on 29 January 1920 in Ginchi area of Shewa, not far from Addis Ababa. He was an ethnic Oromo and hailed from the Tulama clan. His father was a very wealthy landlord who owned 900 acres of farmland.