Battle of Wofla

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Battle of Wofla
Part of the Ethiopian–Adal war
DateAugust 28, 1542
Location
modern Wofla, Ethiopia
Result Decisive Adal Sultanate victory
Belligerents
Flag of Adal Sultanate.svg Adal Sultanate

Flag Portugal (1521).svg Portuguese Empire

Ethiopian Pennants.svgEthiopian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi Cristóvão da Gama Executed
Strength
600–900 Adal musketeers
200 Adal horsemen
About 290 Portuguese musketeers
2300 Ethiopian infantry
Casualties and losses
unknown 160 Portuguese killed
800 Ethiopians killed

The Battle of Wofla was fought on August 28, 1542 near Lake Ashenge in Wofla (or Ofla) in the modern Ethiopian Region of Tigray (previously part of Wollo) between the Portuguese under Cristóvão da Gama and the forces of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi. Reinforced with a superiority not only in numbers but in firearms, Imam Ahmad was victorious and forced the Portuguese, along with Queen and her retinue, to flee their fortified encampment and leave their weapons behind.

While fleeing the battlefield with 14 soldiers, Gama, with his arm broken from a bullet, was captured that night by followers of Imam Ahmad, who had been led into the brush they had taken refuge in by an old woman.[1] He was then brought into the presence of the Imam Ahmad, who tortured his captured opponent, then in the end the Imam drew his sword and beheaded da Gama.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ R.S. Whiteway, editor and translator, The Portuguese Expedition to Abyssinia in 1441-1543, 1902. (Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus Reprint, 1967), pp. 66f
  2. ^ Whiteway, The Portuguese Expedition, p. 68

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