Ethiopians just like the British & the Italians fought the Dervish State. They were surrounded on all sides by European imperial powers. Ethiopia’s interest was to slacken the spread of Islam into it’s borders. Like the British & the Italians,

the Ethiopians failed to subdue the Dervish State. The Dervish State gained most of its notoriety by decisively beating the British, Italian, and Ethiopian armies in battle on numerous occasions over the course of its lifetime.

The Dervish State had an ally in the Ottoman Empire during WW1 however, the two states had little to no formal ties. The Ottoman Empire supported the Dervish State’s quest for freedom and resistance against christianity in the Horn of Africa. The Ottomans had limited influence...

In the Horn of Africa but still managed to arm the Dervish State as it took up arms against the British, Italians & Ethiopians. This had two major effects: pinning down Istanbul’s rivals in uncomfortable positions, and bolstering its image as the leader of the Muslim world.