 Following the death of a German <unk> who had been operating illegally , the Sultan of Zanzibar and the British government dispatched an expedition on 20 October 1890 to bring the Sultan of Witu to justice . Nine warships and three transports carrying 800 sailors and marines , 150 Imperial British East Africa Company ( IBEA ) Indian police , 200 Zanzibari and 50 Sudanese troops were sent , defeating the Sultan and establishing a British protectorate . The IBEA was given control of the area and established a force of 250 Indian police to maintain the peace . The police were withdrawn in July 1893 following threats of violence from the new Sultan of Witu , Oman , and another expedition was dispatched to the region . This consisted of three warships : HMS Blanche , HMS <unk> and the Zanzibari ship <unk> <unk> . The latter carried Mathews with 125 <unk> and 50 Sudanese under Brigadier @-@ General <unk> of the Zanzibar army . 
