Events inside Ethiopia brought personal tragedy to Warqenah's life: the unsuccessful attempt on Marshal Rodolfo Graziani's life led to reprisals which included the summary execution of Warqenah's sons, Benyam and Yosef.
•
He was stopped at Zeila, then part of British Somaliland, by J.L. Harrington the British district officer, who told him that on account of the war he could not proceed, and in any case it would take six weeks to reach Addis Ababa.