On 8 March 1889 the Ethiopian army arrived within sight of Gallabat, and the attack began in earnest the next day. The Sudanese gathered an army of 85,000 and fortified themselves in Gallabat, surrounding the town with a huge zariba, a barrier made of entwined thorn bushes, replicating the effect of barbed wire. In late January 1889, Yohannes mustered a huge army of 130,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry in Dembiya. And if I die at Matamma in the hands of the heathens I shall go to heaven.' Battle Following this victory, the Emperor accepted the advice of his people, and according to Alaqa Lamlam concluded 'if I come back I can fight Shewa later on when I return. The Abyssinians under Ras Gobana Dacche did defeat the Mahdists in the Battle of Guté Dili in the province of Welega on 14 October 1888. He wanted to campaign against Menelik, but the clergy and his senior officers pressed him to handle the Mahdist threat first.

ĭespite this damage to the historic capital, Emperor Yohannes held back from a counterattack due to his suspicions of Menelik II, then ruler of Shewa. Many churches were burnt and pillaged, priests were thrown down from rooves and killed, many people were massacred and hundreds of women and children were enslaved. As a result of this loss, northwestern Ethiopia was open to the Mahdists who entered Gondar to plunder it. Joseph Ohrwalder, who witnessed the battle, stated that the forces of Tekle Haymanot fought with “the courage of lions” to protect their country and religion from the Muslim invaders, but were overwhelmed by the large and better equipped Mahdist army. Tekle Haymanot confronted them at Sar Weha (in Dembiya) on 18 January 1888, but was defeated. Their objective was the historical town of Gondar. As revenge, the next year, the Mahdists under the command of Abu Anga campaigned into Ethiopia with an Army 81,000 men strong. In January 1887 Negus Tekle Haymanot (a Vassal of Emperor Yohannes) defeated the Mahdists in a battle somewhere between Gedaref and Gallabat. These raids led to a Mahdist defeat by Ras Alula on 23 September 1885 at Kufit.

The twin communities of Gallabat and Metemma were located on the trade route from the Nile to Gondar, the old Imperial capital the Mahdists used these communities as their base for attacks on Ethiopia.

After that, the Mahdist Khalifa, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, considered the Ethiopians to be his enemies and sent his forces to attack them. As a result, the British, who had taken over the government of Egypt, negotiated the Treaty of Adowa with Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia on 3 June 1884 whereby the Egyptian garrisons were allowed to evacuate to Massawa through Ethiopian territory. When the Mahdists rebelled against the Egyptians, many Egyptian garrisons found themselves isolated in Sudan. The fighting occurred at the site of the twin settlements of Gallabat (in modern Sudan) and Metemma (in modern Ethiopia), so both names are commonly used and either can be argued to be correct. It is a critical event in Ethiopian history because Nəgusä Nägäst (or Emperor) Yohannes IV was killed in this battle, and because it was the last major battle on the Ethiopian front of the Mahdist War. The Battle of Gallabat (also called the Battle of Metemma) was an armed conflict fought on 9–10 March 1889 between the Mahdist Sudanese and Ethiopian forces.

Ras alula and mahdist