Massacre of Warsheikh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Massacre of Warsheikh | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Italian Somali Wars | |||||||
 Somali attack on Italian ships at warsheikh | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Italy | Warsheikh Somalis | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Captain Angelo Bartorello (DOW) | Chief of Warsheikh | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Two dead ship damaged | None | ||||||
The Massacre of Warsheikh (Somali: Xasuuqii Warsheekh Italian: Massacro di Uarsheikh) or Attack on Warsheikh was the attack on an Italian ship by native Somalis under the Chief of Warsheikh in April 1890 near the city of Warsheikh in Somalia.[1]
Italian ship lieutenant Carlo Zavagli and sailor captain Angelo Bartorello were attacked and killed offshore of Warsheikh by local Somalis. This led to the first colonial naval bombardment in Somalia's history as retaliation.[2][3]
On April 24, 1890 Italian steamboat Volta was sent to the shores of Warsheikh under the command of Lieutenant Zavagli, with instructions to seek a meeting with the local chief, whose population primarily belonged to the Abgaal sub-clan of the Hawiya Somalis, to "demonstrate the crew's friendly intentions and to offer gifts for the chiefs and the population". Alongside Zavagli were Coxswain Angelo Bertolucci, Seaman 3rd Class Angelo Bertorello, Engineer 3rd Class Alfredo Simoni, Stoker 2nd Class Giuseppe Gorini, Chief Helmsman 2nd Giovanni Gonnella, and an Arab interpreter Said Achmed.[4]
Massacre
After Zavagli arrived, the Somalis attacked, launched at a signal from the Somali chief. Zavagli died on the boat, while it tried to get out to sea while the rest of the crew fired wildly to cover their escape. Bertorello was hit by the Somalis while working on the anchor; he suffered fatal wounds.[5][1]
The death of Lieutenant Zavagli, and Bertorello, was one of many "incidents" that stalled Italian colonial ambitions in Somalia.