The massacre of the Italian explorer Count Pietro Porro and his entire party in April 1886, allegedly at the emir's command, gave the Negus an excuse to march on Harar.

"According to historian El Amin Abdel Karim Ahmed:[6] "The Harari Chronicle maintains that Menilek and 'Abdullāhi became involved in an exchange of arrogant challenges just before the battle commenced.

"Knowing that he was heavily outnumbered, and his troops had only obsolete matchlocks and a few cannons, Emir 'Abd Allah decided to attack on early in the morning of Ethiopian Christmas (January 9), expecting the Shewans to be unprepared and befuddled with food and alcohol.

"Had he allowed the enemy to attack the walled city, where his few Krupp cannon might have been effective, the Shewans might have suffered a defeat with serious political consequences," Marcus notes.

The Shewan soldiers quickly responded and Makonnen's column destroyed the enemy artillery; within twenty minutes, Menelik's troops were victorious.