For a number of years in the 1830s, Abu Bakr campaigned against the neighboring karanle with an armed force which the British explorer W. C. Barker described as "consisting of from 150 to 200 matchlock men, 100 cavalry armed with long spears, 60 spearmen on foot, and a few archers.
Insignificant, however, as this force really is, the matchlockmen alone render it far superior to that of the neighbouring tribes, who have a great dread of fire-arms; they have not even a single matchlock in their possession.
"Richard Burton alludes to the existence of communications between Emir Abu Bakr and the British governor of Aden.
[6] Burton also mentions that Abu Bakr's vizier, or chief minister, was the treacherous Garad Mohammed, who also served his son Ahmad.
[6] He died on 8 July 1852 and was succeeded by his son Ahmad, who initially ruled under the regency of his mother Gisti Fatima, who was popular with the people of Harar.