Ual-Ual Incident

Ual-Ual Incident
Part of the Prelude to the Second Italo-Ethiopian War

The Italian fort of Ual-Ual
Date5 December 1934
Location
Ual-Ual, near the border between Italian Somalia and Ethiopia
7°16′52″N 44°18′10″E / 7.28111°N 44.30278°E / 7.28111; 44.30278
Result

Short agreement between Italy and Ethiopia under pressure from the League of Nations

Belligerents
 Italy  Ethiopia
Supported by:
British Empire
Commanders and leaders
Roberto Cimmaruta
Gerardo Zaccardo
Omar Samantar
Fitaurari Alemajo 
Colonel Clifford
Strength
400 Dubats
2 armored cars and some airplanes
1,200 men
80 British Camels
Casualties and losses
21 dead 300+ killed

The Ual-Ual Incident (in Italian: Incidente di Ual Ual; in Somali: Dhacdadii Walwaal; in Amharic: የወልወል ክስተት) was an armed conflict in which Ethiopian troops attacked the Italian garrison in Ual-Ual. On 5 December 1934, after a few weeks of tension between the garrison and Ethiopian armed men, a violent firefight began for the possession of the locality, which was located in a strip of disputed territory. According to the Ethiopians, Ual-Ual had been illegitimately occupied by the Italians since 1926 but, in this incident, Italian control over Ual-Ual was confirmed. The conflict ended with an agreement under the League of Nations but Fascist Propaganda made it a Casus belli for the War of Ethiopia.