On June 4, 1859, Henri Lambert was assassinated, on board the dhow Nasseri, which intended to visit Tadjoura to bid farewell to Abubakr Pasha before returning to France. He had already informed the French about the benefits of establishing a colony opposite the British stronghold of Aden.
In 1861, Sharmarke Ali Salih was believed by the French to have a role in the murder of Henri Lambert, a former French consular agent at Aden while on his way to Tadjoura, and who was incidentally a major supporter of Sharmarke's main rival Abubakr Ibrahim Chehem, an Afar slave trader. Both the Turkish Pasha of Al-Hodeydah and the British Residency in Aden believed Sharmarke was wholly innocent of the charge, but the Haji and some of his supporters were arbitrarily arrested and handed to the French navy for a trial in Constantinople (although the trial was later moved to Jeddah).Marston, Britain's Imperial Role, pp. 256-257,
Background
The Caïman incident A major source of the feud between Aboubakr Pasha and Sharmarke Ali Salih, which later fueled Sharmarke's attempted coup in Zeila, was the wreck of the Caïman. This French steam-powered war corvette last docked in Aden on January 20, 1854, before running aground near Zeila shortly afterward. Sharmarke, then the governor of the region, came to the ship's aid. Recognizing that the vessel had to be abandoned, he assisted in evacuating the crew and Commander Cormier. In gratitude, Cormier authorized Sharmarke to salvage materials from the hull, particularly the copper sheathing, which was highly valuable in the area.
Sharmake went beyond this permission, employing Khamite workers from Aden to fully dismantle the ship's machinery. He recovered large quantities of copper, brass, iron, and wood. Some of these materials were sold, while the rest were stored in Zeila. Following Sharmarke's removal as governor and Aboubakr's appointment in his place, Aboubakr seized Sharmarke's remaining possessions, including the salvaged materials. He only returned them after receiving direct orders from Mahmoud Pasha.Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9, Vol. 35, para. 24, pp. 171–183, Report by Captain Playfair to Brigadier Coghlan, April 7, 1856.
Dispute over Zeila's lease In 1857, the customs lease in Zeila was contested between Abubakr, the current holder, and Sharmake, who sought to reclaim the position. Their rivalry intensified with the arrival of a new governor in al-Hudayda, Ahmad Salam Wudada, known for his cruelty and corruption. Despite Sharmake offering 1,000 thalers for the lease, Abubakr outbid him with an additional 500 piastres, winning the contract. Frustrated, Sharmake escalated the dispute by accusing Abubakr of misappropriating 4,000 thalers worth of copper from the wreck of the Caïman, a French warship that had run aground near Zeila in 1854. Exploiting their rivalry, Ahmad Pasha imprisoned Abubakr without trial and released him only after extracting a 5,000-thaler ransom, which he and Sharmake shared. Disillusioned, Abubakr retired to Ambabbo, leaving behind the volatile politics of Zeila.Letter from Sharmake to the Inhabitants of Zeyla, April 1861
In May 1858, Captain Charles Méquet of the French brig Génie visited Zeila during a mission to explore the Red Sea and recruit free labor for plantations in Réunion. Méquet inspected the Caïman wreck and found its salvage value negligible, a result of prior scavenging by both Sharmake and Abubakr. Partnering with Henri Lambert, the French consul, Méquet traveled to al-Hudayda, where they convinced Ahmad Pasha to refund the ransom extracted from Abubakr. Lambert later ensured the funds were returned to the French government, citing the Caïman's French ownership.AMAE. Consular Correspondence, Port Louis. Henri Lambert to Minister Hamelin, May 1, 1858.Marine Archives. Le Génie File. Méquet to the Ministry of the Navy. Aden, February 9, 1858
Prelude
Lambert's relations with Sharmake Ali Salih Aboubakr's return to Tadjoura, after being imprisoned by Ahmed Pasha, did not change the fact that he had to deal with Sharmake, the new holder of the lease over Zeila. In September 1858, upon the renewal of this position, no one contested it, and he was reappointed by the Pasha for another year. Lambert, needing forage for his trade animals awaiting shipment from Tadjoura, faced challenges as it was scarce in the area and could only be obtained in Zeila, now controlled by Sharmarke, his adversary following a ransom dispute. Tensions culminated when Lambert chartered a boat to Zeila to fetch Dakmi, a plant used for forage and hut coverings. The ship's captain, Ali Daoud, who had fled Zeila due to conflicts with Sharmarke, attempted to load goods in Sharmarke's absence. However, Sharmarke's brother, Burrie, who shared his hostility toward Lambert, seized the half-loaded boat and imprisoned the crew, despite their lack of wrongdoing.Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9 Vol. 36 p. 293, Coghlan to Anderson, 25 September 1858Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9 Vol. 39 pp. 85-86 and 91-123, Deposition of Syed Mohamed, April 9, 1861
Sharmake ordered troops to Tadjoura to seize a mule-laden boat, but Aboubakr's brother alerted Lambert, who secured it. On returning, Sharmake endorsed his brother's actions, detained the sailors for over two months, and kept the boat. After his release, Captain Ali Daoud filed a complaint against Lambert with the Pasha of Al-Hodeydah, while Lambert lodged a similar complaint against Sharmake.Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9 vol. 39 pp. 85-86 and 91-123, Deposition of Abou Beker, merchant, brother of Aboubeker Ibrahim, April 9, 1861
Dini Ahmed Abou Baker, Aboubakr's cousin, carried a letter to Sharmake on Lambert's behalf. This letter, written in French, could not be read by Sharmarke's secretaries, who replied in Arabic:Foreign Affairs, Personal File of H. Lambert, "Translation of a letter from Shermarke to H. Lambert dated the 26th day of the month of Rebiulawel of the year 1275 — September 13, 1858"To our dear friend, Mr. Lambert, Consul, may God prolong the days of your life!
What we can tell you is that your letter has reached us. It is written in French. We do not know its contents. No one in the country here reads French or English.
We questioned Diny (the bearer of the letter). We asked him: 'Why did the Consul send you?' Diny answered: 'I don't know what the letter says, but the Consul explicitly requested a camel, a donkey, and the release of the imprisoned individual.'
Now, my friend, let me summarise: You are a man of wisdom and authority. Every time someone gives you deceitful reports, you believe them too easily. Beware of false reports. Verify the facts for yourself, as lying in this land is welcomed too readily.
The first time Salah Chahhim traveled to the Pasha, he took a letter from you and had an audience with him. He told you that Sharmarke had detained a servant of yours, tasked with collecting grass. But this woman had not been sent out to gather grass on your behalf. She was with someone unreliable, and when this individual was taken down, they began cutting Dakmi grass belonging to various homes. When Salah went to the Pasha, the truth was revealed, namely, that the grass did not belong to the Consul but was Dakmi grass belonging to others.
Do not lend your ear to lies, my friend. You are a man of authority; we are the Sultan's subjects. Anyone who comes to us is treated with respect. When you came to us, that is how we treated you. And this time, too, if you had come, we would have welcomed you just as we welcome everyone, that is to say, in the most honorable way. We would have even welcomed you better than others.
Farewell."
Assassination plot against Henri Lambert Henri Lambert, facing financial and health difficulties, initially offered his resignation as French consul in Aden. However, he reconsidered after receiving a letter from Prince Napoleon urging him to continue his duties. Despite this, Lambert struggled with poverty and limited support from Paris. His challenges included the refusal of J. Gautier to replace him and critical reports from Commander Tricault.Foreign Affairs, Commercial Correspondence Port Louis, 1850–July 1860, Vol. 3, p. 369, Laplace to Walewski, April 8, 1859.National Archives, Marine BB 4/764, pp. 616–629Foreign Affairs, Miscellaneous Affairs, Africa–Red Sea–Abyssinia–Zeila, 1857–1895, No. 21, J. Gautier to Lambert, January 3, 1859Foreign Affairs, CCC Port Louis No. 3 and 4, document No. 15, Lambert to Prince Napoleon, February 15, 1859 With help from his friend August
in Thomas, who brought verbal messages and financial aid, Lambert tried to manage his debts. However, his appeals for recognition and resources were ignored by the French government. Feeling abandoned, he officially resigned on April 27, 1859, thanking the English governor for his hospitality as he closed the consular agency.Foreign Affairs, Memories and Documents, Africa–Red Sea No. I, 1839–1880, p. 81, Lambert to Thomas, April 26, 1859Foreign Affairs, Memories and Documents, Africa–Red Sea No. I, 1839–1880, pp. 85–86, Minister of the Navy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, April 29, 1859India Office Records (IOR): 201 A, vol. 192, p. 113, Lambert to Coghlan, April 29, 1859 Lambert departed Aden on April 29, 1859, aboard the Nasseri, reaching Al-Hodeydah by April 30. He stayed in Yemen for about a month before departing. This gave Sharmarke, the opportunity to get rid of Lambert for good. He gathered around him a council composed of six men. Among them were his brother Burrie, Mohamed Hassan Robly, who was his trusted man, Ali Bar Omar Tour, one of his secretaries responsible for paying his soldiers, Hadji Osman, his secretary, and Furruj, a slave whose memory was relied upon. Sharmake was informed of Lambert's departure from Al-Hodeydah to the Nasseri, with Nacouda Abdillahi. His brother and he himself declare that they would indeed kill Lambert. Sharmarke has Hadji Osman write a letter addressed to Awadh Bel Fakil, his correspondent and banker in Al-Hodeydah. The terms of this assassination contract via Awadh.Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9, Vol. 39, p. 174, Testimony of Saleem before Langle, 1 June 1861Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9, Vol. 34, pp. 91-123, Testimony of Hadji Osman before Langle, 28 April 1861Indian Office Records (IOR): L/P&S/9, Vol. 39, p. 161-183, Testimony of Ali Bar Omar Tour before Playfair, 4 June 1861