Ethiopia Unveils Monument for 50th & Last Independent Ruler of Walaita Kingdom in Wolaita Sodo
Ethiopia Unveils Monument for 50th & Last Independent Ruler of Walaita Kingdom in Wolaita Sodo
Kawo Tona Gaga led the Walaita people’s resistance against the expansion of Emperor Menelik II’s Ethiopian Empire. The Walaita Kingdom, which had existed since around 1251 in south-central Ethiopia, was incorporated into the empire in 1894 after its defeat.
Although captured and later taken to Addis Ababa, Kawo Tona Gaga remains a symbol of bravery and self-sacrifice, revered by the Walaita as a national hero.
Following the loss of independence, he continued to govern Walaita under Menelik II’s authority, albeit with reduced powers and a diminished royal court, until 1902. His marriage to an Amhara woman reflected the new political reality. He was eventually exiled to Addis Ababa on suspicion of inciting unrest among the neighboring Gamo people and died there in 1909.
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