▁Sud an , ▁most ▁of ▁E rit rea ▁and ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁central ▁part ▁of ▁present - day ▁Eth iop ia . ▁ ▁Military ▁history ▁of ▁modern ▁Africa ▁ ▁Ad al - E th iop ian ▁wars ▁ ▁While ▁European ▁expl oration ▁began ▁with ▁mapping ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁coast s ▁by ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁large - scale ▁inter vention ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁until ▁much ▁later . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 5 2 9 – 1 5 4 3 ▁campaign ▁of ▁A hm ad ▁ibn ▁I bra him ▁al - G h azi , ▁which ▁brought ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁Christian ▁A by ss in ia ▁( mod ern ▁day ▁Eth iop ia ) ▁under ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁Sultan ate ▁of ▁Ad al ▁( mod ern ▁day ▁Som alia . ▁With ▁an ▁army ▁mainly ▁composed ▁of ▁Som alis , ▁▁ ▁which ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁emp ire ▁with ▁mus k ete ers ▁and ▁troops . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Way na ▁D aga , ▁a ▁combined ▁Eth iop ian - Port ug uese ▁force ▁( including ▁Portuguese ▁mus k ete ers ) ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁kill ▁Im am ▁A hm ad ▁in ▁ret ali ation ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Portuguese ▁commander , ▁Crist ov ão ▁da ▁G ama ▁and ▁take ▁back ▁Ad al ▁territ ories . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 9 , ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁attempted ▁to ▁attack ▁Eth iop ia ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁from ▁the ▁north ▁at ▁the ▁coast al