Belay's father was a loyal and close servant of Lij Iyasu, who bestowed him the title of Basha, and is said to have had a considerable number of troops under his command.

In the skirmish that followed, Zeleke was killed in Kanto Maryam, and at Bokena his body was hung on a tree for a day in order to intimidate the local people.

It has been documented that Belay and the other patriots fought victoriously in over 23 important battles between 1937 and 1941 at various locations including: Abera, Shebel Berenta, Bichena, Caqqata, Debre Werk, Dejen, Dances, Dibisa, Dema, Delanta, Gonga, Gubaya, Garso, Ennabese, Lamcham, Mekane Selam, Melka, Somma, Tiq, Waseda, Wassage and Yage.

When Belay arrived in Debre Marqos, General Wingate ordered that he remain outside of the city at gunpoint and Haile Selassie eventually met him.

[6] As Italy was defeated and Haile Selassie I returned from his exile through Debre Markos on 6 April 1941, Belay reportedly had 40,000–45,000 combatants, who presented themselves in a military parade in front of the emperor, singing war songs and heroic recitals.

After three weeks of heavy fighting, some of his combatants were killed, some wounded, others weakened, and some defected; finally, Belay was arrested, taken to Addis Ababa and sentenced to death.

[8] After a few years in prison he made an escape attempt under pressure from Lij Mammo Haile Mikael, an Italian collaborator who was imprisoned in the compound of the Grand Palace with him.

He was 35 when he died; survived by four wives, three daughters (Yerome, Yasawerq and Yashembet) and four sons (Admasu, Gossu, Bahru and Melaku).

In order to acquiesce the province, after Belay's hanging, the imperial government changed the taxation policy in Gojjam to the pre-war system.