Emir Abubakr Ibrahim Chehem (Afar: Obakar Arbahim Sehim, Turkish: Ebûbekir Efendi Paşa; 1810 – 6 December 1885) was an Ottoman-Afar statesman, wealthy merchant, and slave-trader who served twice as the Pasha of Ottoman Zeila, first serving from 1855 to 1857 and again from 1861 to 1874, until the Egyptian invasion of Harar. During his first term, his rival Sharmake Ali Saleh accused him of embezzling funds from the customs office, leading to his arrest and an eight-month imprisonment. This incident resulted in his removal from office. He was eventually freed through the intervention of Henri Lambert, the French consul at Aden. After the Egyptian takeover in 1874, he continued to serve as the provincial governor of Zeila under the Khedivate’s administration until their withdrawal in 1884.
Early life Abubakr Ibrahim Chehem was born in Ambabbó, in the region of Tadjoura, to a family of Afar Hassoba origin. He was the third son of a wealthy Afar merchant named Ibrahim Chehem who primarily sold dates and incense which he acquired from the ports of Al-Shihr and Muscat. His mother, Handa, was an Afar from Tadjoura, originating from local sultan's Ada'il clan. French explorer, Charles-Xavier Rochet d'Héricourt met with Abubakr's brother Mohammed Chehem who had a wound in his arm which Rochet treated. According to Charles-Xavier, his father Ibrahim, founded the hamlet of Ambabbó because years prior, a feud erupted between Ibrahim's Hassoba clan and the people of Tadjoura, rooted in the Danakil tradition where spilled blood demands vengeance, sparking a cycle of retribution that can only be stopped through the death of the original culprit or a blood price settled in cloth, cattle, or money. However, no such agreement was reached, leading Ibrahim to leave Tadjoura.
His father had amicable relations with the Kingdom of Shewa and provided services for them, as a commercial agent but also as a diplomatic agent, leading caravans into the interior of Ethiopia from Ambabbó and Tadjourah. He acted as the intermediary between the Negus of Shewa, Haile Melekot and the British political resident at Aden, Stafford Haines.
In the 1850s, Ibrahim, an important economic operator, faced challenges from the rise of the Mudaito, who were extending their control over Awsa's fertile lands and demanding higher tolls. This period saw tense relations between Awsa and Tadjoura, continuing decades of conflict that had begun in the 1830s when the Mudaito seized control of the lower Awash valley. Clashes persisted, with a major defeat for Ibrahim's forces on June 25, 1852, at Gafu. This was where he and two of his sons, Mohammed and Maki were killed by the sultan of Aussa, Hanfadhe ibn Aydahis. Despite a brief victory later that year at 'Assal on June 25, 1852, Arbahinto's fortunes and those of the Hassoba of Ambabbó were severely shaken and by 1856, the Mudaito had secured control of the Awash delta. After Ibrahim's death, his son Abubakr Ibrahim emerged as a significant figure in the region.
Rise to power
Following the deaths of his father and brothers in 1852, Abubakr took control of the family business with remarkable political skill, maintaining strategic trade relations between Shewa, Awsa, and Tadjoura. Menilek, Negus of Shewa since 1866, relied on this network to secure firearms and Western technologies, appointing his second son, Mahammad Pasha as governor of Aleyu Amba, a key trade hub. Mahammad helped expand the family's influence, controlling vital trade routes that connected Ethiopia's highlands to coastal markets. However, tensions arose in 1865 when the Amoyta of Awsa imposed a salt tax, triggering conflict with Tadjoura and its allies. This led to violent clashes, including the Awsa raid on Tadjoura in 1866, which was eventually resolved through mediation. Despite speculation about Arab or Turkish lineage, the Sheḥem family's dominance stemmed from their trade acumen, linguistic versatility, and extensive network across the Red Sea and inland Ethiopia. Their success in the commerce of slaves and firearms reinforced their regional power.
By then, Abubakr had already asserted his authority in Zeila and among inland peoples by negotiating safe caravan passage and maintaining trade flow through strong supplier-client relations. As his influence grew internationally, he needed not only rank and notoriety to be seen as a legitimate interlocutor but also the foresight to navigate foreign ambitions, whether benevolent or deceitful. In Zeila, where diverse communities coexisted under the distant rule of the Ottoman Empire, Abubakr, in his forties, sought to outmanoeuvre Somali merchant Sharmake Ali Salih in controlling customs revenues. His rise was intertwined with power and wealth, but an unforeseen factor, French diplomat Henri Lambert's presence in the Gulf of Aden was about to shift the course of events. Recognising the benefits of European backing, as demonstrated by British dominance in Aden, Abubakr saw Lambert as a potential ally, fostering a relationship driven by mutual economic interests, strategic ambition, and a shared affinity that would shape his political trajectory.
A key source of conflict between Aboubakr Pasha and Sharmarke Ali Salih, which later contributed to 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 thereafter. As governor of the region at the time, Sharmarke aided the ship and its crew, evacuating Commander Cormier and his men. In appreciation, Cormier granted Sharmarke permission to salvage materials from the wreck, particularly the valuable copper sheathing. Exceeding this authorisation, Sharmarke employed Khamite workers from Aden to fully dismantle the vessel's machinery, extracting large quantities of copper, brass, iron, and wood. While some materials were sold, the rest were stored in Zeila. After Sharmarke's dismissal as governor and Aboubakr's subsequent appointment, Aboubakr seized the remaining salvaged materials along with Sharmarke's other possessions. These were only returned following 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.
In February 1856, Sharmarke left Aden for ZeIla, where he allied with his brother Deria and the pirate Muhammed ʿAbdi Liban of ʿAin Tarad. After recovering some of his confiscated property, he blockaded ZeIla with seven boats, incited the ʿIssa to attack, plundered and destroyed vessels, and set fire to the town. Abubakr, anticipating the assault, withdrew to Tadjoura and informed the British. On April 1, Brigadier General Coghlan sent Captain Playfair to investigate, and on April 5 a confrontation took place aboard a British ship where Abubakr accused Sharmarke of piracy. Sharmarke denied the charges but was reprimanded, barred from Aden, and later submitted a letter of obedience on April 23, 1856. Abubakr subsequently returned to ZeIla, consolidating his position, while his early encounters with Europeans included meetings with the Frenchman Henri Lambert during his first voyage to the Gulf of Aden.IOR. Aden Affairs. Anderson to Coghlan, Bombay, 17 December 1854.IOR. Aden Affairs. Abū-Bakr to Brigadier General Coghlan, 9 jumacda ath-thânî 1272.IOR. Aden Affairs. Saleh Ibrahim Shehem et Sayed Mohammed Abdelrahman el-Barre Cazee, 14 jumacda ath-thânî 1272.IOR. Aden Affairs. Playfair to Coghlan, 7 April 1856.IOR. Aden Affairs. Coghlan's report to Anderson, February 26, 1856.
In October 1855 Henri Lambert traveled from Aden to Tadjoura, where he established cordial relations with the chief Adallom Mahammad, prior to a brief visit to Zeila and dealings with Abubakr for the first time. In early 1856 he returned again, this time warmly received on the lifting of Sharmaarkey's blockade, and having discussions with Abubakr for many hours on trade. After the completion of negotiations for supplies of livestock, he went to Obock, al-Mukha, and al-Hudayda, where Mahmud Pasha again welcomed him. In his third assignment, between September 2 and 14, 1856, Lambert concentrated on the Gulf of Tadjoura and Obock, establishing contacts with the local chiefs and visiting Zeila and the Musha Islands. Abubakr welcomed him with military honors and festivities at ZeIla. These frequent visits strengthened Lambert's relations with Abubakr, whose influence among the Afar was growing, as British officials in Aden were starting to view the rising popularity of the young Frenchman in the region with growing suspicion.
In 1857, the customs farm at Zeila was contested between Abubakr, the incumbent, and Sharmarke, who sought to regain the post after the replacement of Governor Mahmud Pasha by Ahmad Salam Wudada. Although Abubakr secured the concession with a higher bid, Sharmarke retaliated by reviving the Caiman shipwreck dispute, leading Ahmad Pasha to imprison Abubakr and extort a ransom of 5,000 thalers. Abubakr was eventually released but withdrew from politics to focus on trade. In early 1858, the Frenchmen Mequet and Consul Lambert intervened during a naval expedition, pressing Ahmad Pasha to reimburse the ransom on the grounds that the affair harmed Ottoman prestige. Persuaded by the promise of a labor supply for Mauritius, Ahmad complied, and Lambert later ensured that the value of the disputed wreck was restored to the French state.Letter from Sharmaarkey to the inhabitants of Zeylaʿ, April 1861.Archives de la Marine. Dossier Le Génie. Méquet au ministère de la Marine. Aden, le 9 février 1858.AMAE. Correspondance consulaire, Port Louis. Henri Lambert au ministre Hamelin, 1er mai 1858.AMAE. Correspondance politique. Aden, tome 1, p.19. 14 juin 1858.
In June 1859, reports spread that the Nassery had wrecked near Djibouti, with its commander Lambert allegedly drowning while attempting escape on a raft. Although some of the crew reached shore, suspicions arose when none of the Nassery's sailors perished in the incident. Abubakr, unconvinced by official explanations, pressed the British governor at Aden for an inquiry, suggesting Lambert had been assassinated. Despite an investigation led by Captain Playfair, which relied on Somali testimonies and dismissed foul play, Abubakr continued to petition Ottoman authorities, compelling Aḥmad Pasha to take up the case formally. By July, key crew members of the Nassery were detained, while evidence, including bloodstains on the vessel, fueled allegations of murder.AMAE. Dossier personnel. Henri Lambert. Aboubeker à Coghlan, 7 juin 1859.Foreign Office Records (FOR) 78-3185. Colquhoun to Lord Russel, 6 juin 1861.
The affair escalated further in May 1861, when Commander Fleuriot de Langle of the French vessel Somme confronted Ottoman authorities at al-Ḥudayda, demanding the surrender of Sharmarke and his alleged accomplices. After tense negotiations, Aḥmad Pasha yielded, and Sharmarke, along with his banker Awad ibn Faqil, was taken aboard the Somme. Subsequent appeals to higher Ottoman officials in Jeddah stalled, prompting de Langle to plan for their transfer to Réunion and eventually France or Constantinople for trial. Before this could occur, however, Sharmarke died suddenly on 15 May 1861, reportedly from an aneurysm. His final acts, including discarding his traditional attire and embracing European dress in humility, were interpreted either as resignation or as a final defiant gesture.
Political career