Ayalew Birru

Ayalew Birru, or Ayyalaw Birru, (1892 - May 1945) was an Ethiopian army commander, a patriot, and a cousin of Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Ayalew Birru was born at Gayent and was the son of Birru Wolde Gabriel and Gessesse Marso. Ayalew Birru was a relative of Taytu Betul. From 1883 to 1913, Taytu was the wife of Emperor Menelek II and, from 1889 to 1913, she was Empress of the Ethiopian Empire. Birru Wolde Gabriel was even rumoured to be the "natural" son of Menelik.

During his lifetime, Ayalew Birru held a number of important governorships. From 1916, he was of Wagara. From 1928, he was Shum of Semien Province. From 1917 to 1918, after Iyasu was deposed, Ayalew Birru was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army by Ras Tafari Makonnen.

On 18 January 1918, Ayalew Birru married Manyahilush Kassa. Manyahilush was the second daughter of Ras Kassa Haile Darge. Ayalew Birru and Manyahilush Kassa had children including a son.

Late in 1928, the Raya Oromo revolted in Wollo Province. Tafari Makonnen called for the governors of several neighboring provinces to suppress the revolt. Dejazmach Ayalew Birru, as Shum of Semien, was one of the governors called upon. Unlike many of the others called upon, Ayalew Birru strenuously fought the revolting Oromo in Lasta. Because of this, Ras Gugsa Welle, Shum of Begemder Province was able to take advantage of his absence in Semien. While Ayalew Birru was away, Gugsa Welle managed to bring most of Simien under his own control. Gugsa Welle and Ayalew Birru were cousins and both were closely related to Empress Taytu Betel.

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