Araarsoo's Guest (based on a true story)

By Jilcha Hamid

Sunrise brought calm and serenity over the village of Walensu and villagers woke up to the call of the roosters. The farmers washed up for the morning prayer, had breakfast and headed out to their fields for another day of work. It was another day in the village. Well...almost.

“Do you have anything in your pockets?” Ararso asked a man laying on the floor mat.

“..hin qabu” replied his guest, quietly.

“Okay, hold this and come outside. You can't sit here by yourself.”

The man reluctantly complied as he was handed a farmers tool. Although he was somewhat suspicious of his host, he had no choice but to comply. After all, he was a guest. As the farmers worked in the fields a column of soldiers entered the village and began questioning people about last night. Their base came under heavy fire and they believed that their attackers may have come from Walensu, or at least passed through the village. It was a common occurrence and the villagers had grown accustomed to the questioning. As the soldiers neared, Ararso looked over at his guest in the field.

“You...what is your name?” the soldier asked.

“Ararso..”

“Ararsuu..there were bandits in your village last night. Where are they hiding?” the soldier quizzed.

“I didn't see anything. I was in my home.”

“They're getting supplies from here” the soldier remarked in a demanding tone, while surveying fields. His eyes settled on Ararso's guest, wandering the field carefully observing the column. “Who is he? Call him.”

“Aboo khoottu!” Ararso called out. Alarmed, the man darted in the opposite direction and soldiers began opening fire. As he dropped to the ground, a group of soldiers went over and rifled through his pockets. Meanwhile, as the soldiers began questioning Ararso, he assured them that the man was a simple farmer.

After pleading with the commander, villagers lifted the man on a makeshift stretcher and began carrying him to the nearest hospital, located several kilometers away in the county administrative town. As some locals carried the man away, soldiers went through his belongings, including a folded piece of paper which contained writings in the latin script. They awaited another unit with their interpreter. Shortly after the interpreter arrived, the guest was declared a wanted man and the column was hot on the trail. When the news reached them, the rescuers left the wounded guest in a nearby home and ordered him to stay put as the soldiers approached their location. As soldiers arrived at the location surveying the area for any sign, the wanted man came dragging himself out of the house. He was immediately surrounded by soldiers with weapons pointed. He looked up at the soldiers muttering in agony...

“...diqaalaa tigree!”

The soldiers opened fire. As the man lay lifeless they apprehended some locals and returned to Walensu.

Ararso had already been taken into custody by then and was awaiting his fate as locals pleaded on his behalf. Perhaps killing an influential local wouldn't help their cause in the area, as the elusive rebels continued to attack and inflict casualties on his troops every night. As villagers appealed for his release, the commander changed his plans and decided to release Ararso and the other local detainees as a friendly gesture. As the sun set over Walensu, the soldiers returned to their base and Ararso returned home. But he knew that his problems were far from over.

At nightfall rebels entered the village. Ararso's guest, a wounded fighter, was an important man to the rebels. He was entrusted the guest for safekeeping by a rebel commander the previous night. That meant that he was accountable for whatever happened to him.

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That night Ararso stayed up chewing khat at a relatives home. Rebels had been questioning locals about the days events and news quickly spread that he was being sought for questioning. As the fighting raged on and rebels were under growing military pressure, they were becoming increasingly paranoid and harsh in their policies towards perceived acts of treachery.

Jamal Ahmad better known by his nom de guerre – Jaal Bombii Sabaa - was the head of rebel command. The bearded, short and stalky commander was the quintessential military man. He kept a stern face and spoke in a deep, penetrating voice. He was born and raised on a farm outside of Walensu. Although he came from a family of farmers, there was nothing in the world he hated more than farming. But there were no other opportunities available in Walensu, until the Ethio-Somali border war kicked off when he was a teenager. Jamal was recruited into the Western Somalia rebel force, where he underwent extensive guerrilla/commando training. When the border war ended he spent a few years in the refugee camp of Hargeisa before joining the Oromo rebels fighting to topple the Ethiopian government and establish an independent state of Oromia. This was his vision for which he was willing to sacrifice his life. From 1991-1995 he maintained a strong rebel force in the Walensu region supported by a strong network of suppliers and informants.

On this night apart from their regular duties, the rebels were searching for their treacherous host. The information they received was that Ararso sought to hand their man over to enemy troops in exchange for a reward. He was now a wanted man. He spent the following day hiding at a relatives home reflecting on events. The killing of the Sheikh, the elderly lady killed in a rebel attack. since he knew his home was being watched. On the second night Ararso returned to his home prepared to take a stand and defend himself. He stayed up the entire night chewing khat, with his rifle cocked aimed at the door. Anxiously waiting for the knock. It never came. Not tonight. But he knew they would be back. He couldn't live like this. He grabbed his belongings and headed up the road to speak with the only person he could turn to. The leader of the Tigrayan front in the county, Commander Seyoum, welcomed Ararso with open arms.