What is your opinion on the Ascaris?

[dekiteshim]

I was speaking with my father and he told me of a number of my great grandfathers and great-great grandfathers having fought as Ascaris during WW2, the Mahdist War and the Conquest of Ethiopia. I recall of a story of a former Somali Ascari suiting up for the Duce during the intervention in Somalia from 92-93.

What is your opinion on them? I’ve personally never been ashamed of them (in fact I’ve been somewhat prideful along with most Eritreans) but I don’t know if that sentiment is shared amongst Somalis

 

[waffl3r]

No offence, but i'd be ashamed if one of my relatives was an askari. Dying and fighting for gaal colonisers is nasty work

 

[dekiteshim]

No offence, but i'd be ashamed if one of my relatives was an askari. Dying and fighting for gaal colonisers is nasty work

Ah it’s probably a matter of religion then. Since Kebessa folk are mostly Orthodox, they probably didn’t mind Catholic Italians.

Nature of colonisation plays a part too. Colonisation of Eritrea was pretty much done without firing a bullet. They just bought their way in and negotiated. Probably helped that both had the common enemy of Imperial Ethiopia

 

[waffl3r]

Ah it’s probably a matter of religion then. Since Kebessa folk are mostly Orthodox, they probably didn’t mind Catholic Italians.

Nature of colonisation plays a part too. Colonisation of Eritrea was pretty much done without firing a bullet. They just bought their way in and negotiated. Probably helped that both had the common enemy of Imperial Ethiopia

Yh its different for us who see them as foreign christian invaders. Still i think its weird to fight as footsoldiers to people who think of you as inferior, even if you may share a religion.

 

[Kaneeco]

Kinda based specially The Somali Dubat Ascaris were fascists.