Battle of Senafé

Significance

The Battle of Senafé on January 15–16, 1895 was a direct sequel to the Battle of Coatit, occurring the following day as Italian colonial forces under Oreste Baratieri pursued and destroyed the remnants of the Tigrayan army that had withdrawn from that earlier engagement. With Ethiopian casualties recorded at 2,000, the action eliminated the immediate fighting capacity of the Tigrayan force under Ras Mengesha. Together, Coatit and Senafé represented a consolidation of Italian military pressure in the Tigray region during the opening phase of the First Italo-Ethiopian War, temporarily suppressing Tigrayan resistance and reinforcing Italian confidence in their colonial position in Eritrea ahead of later and ultimately decisive confrontations in the war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)