[1] The island of Djerba was nominally within the domains of Abu Abdallah Muhammad IV al-Mutawakkil of Ifriqiya but it was actually under the control of the Corsair commanders Oruç Reis and Hayreddin Barbarossa.

During the summer of 1519 preparations were made in Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena and Malaga, and after the ships met in Ibiza and Formentera, they wintered in Sicily.

The Spanish were attacked by the army of Sheikh Said, made up of ten or twelve thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry.

Despite initial setbacks, Hugo of Moncada and the Flemish knights under his command managed to repel their enemies, who fled.

The sheikh was not dispossessed, but became a tributary of Spain, agreeing to pay a sum of 12,000 francs per year and keep the island free of corsairs.