Mandingo Wars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mandingo Wars |
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| Part of the Scramble for Africa | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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 Wassoulou Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Henri Gouraud, Louis Archinard, Pierre Humbert | Samori Ture | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 50,000 | 60,000 riflemen 5,000 cavalry |
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The Mandingo Wars were a series of fights that happened between 1883 and 1898. They were fought between France and the Wassoulou Empire. This empire was led by a strong leader named Samori Ture. His people were called the Mandingo.
The Mandinka people fought back very hard. They used guns and clever fighting styles. This made it tough for France to expand its control in West Africa. In the end, France won these wars. They took control of areas that are now Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.
Contents
First Mandingo War: Early Battles (1882–1886)
In 1882, a French commander named Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes sent a message to Samori Toure. He said that the town of Kiniéran was now under French protection. Samori Toure did not like this news.
He attacked and took over the town on February 21, 1882. French soldiers arrived too late to save the town. They chased Samori's army and fought them at Samaya.
The Mandinka warriors, called sofas, usually charged head-on. But this time, the French had new, powerful weapons. Many sofas were killed in the open fight. Samori quickly changed his plan. He started using guerrilla tactics. This means small groups would attack quickly and then disappear. His cavalry (horseback soldiers) also made fast attacks.
These tactics pushed the French back to the Niger River. This victory made Samori Toure famous. People saw him as an African leader who could stand up to the European invaders. This helped him get more fighters.
Battles for Bamako
After the Samaya victory, some leaders in Bamako wanted to join Samori Toure. Bamako was an important town on the Niger River. France wanted to control it. So, on February 1, 1883, France quickly built a fort there.
Samori's brother, Kebe Brema, led his forces to Bamako. He wanted to draw the French soldiers out of their fort. They fought two battles at Woyo Wayanko creek in April. Kebe Brema won the first battle. But he was eventually forced to retreat.
Fighting for Gold and Peace
In 1885, a French group tried to take over the Buré gold fields. They attacked Niagassola. Samori Toure fought back. He split his army into three fast-moving groups. They went around the French supply lines. This forced the French to leave.
France was also fighting another leader, Mahmadu Lamine. So, they agreed to talk peace with Samori. They signed the Treaty of Kenieba Koura on March 28, 1886. This agreement said France controlled the left side of the Niger River. Samori controlled the gold fields of Bure and the Manding region.
As part of the deal, Samori's oldest son, Djaoulen-Karamo, visited France. This was a trip to learn and build good relations.
Second Mandingo War: Moving East (1891–1895)
On March 10, 1891, French forces under Colonel Louis Archinard launched a surprise attack. They marched from Nyamina towards Kankan. Archinard thought he could defeat Samori quickly.
Samori knew his forts could not stop French cannons. So, he decided to fight differently. He used a strategy called scorched earth. This meant burning or destroying everything useful before the French arrived. This way, the French would find nothing to use.
Archinard easily captured Kankan on April 11. Then he took Bissandougou. But Samori had left almost nothing behind.
Chasing Samori's Army
Colonel Pierre Humbert took over from Archinard in January 1892. He led a small, well-supplied force to attack Bissandougou again. Samori's sofas fought hard battles at Soumbe and Diamanko creeks. They lost many men but also hurt the French. They almost captured the French cannons. But Bissandougou was abandoned again.
The French kept chasing Samori's army south. They faced ambushes and guerrilla attacks. Samori kept using the scorched earth tactic. The French set up military posts in Bissandougou and Kerouane. In May 1892, Samori and his allies decided to move their empire east. They destroyed each area before leaving to slow down the French.
Blocking Supplies and New Goals
In early 1893, the French could not trap Samori's armies in Guinea. But they did capture Faranah. This helped them block supply routes to Liberia and Sierra Leone. These places were where Samori got his modern weapons.
Some areas that were part of Samori's empire, like Kissidougou, surrendered to the French. Samori's new goal was the ancient trading city of Kong. This city was very important for the whole region.
Kong had said it would accept French protection in 1892. France wanted to make this official. So, they sent a group of soldiers in August 1894. But this group did not leave Grand Bassam until February 1895. When they arrived, the local people started to resist.
On March 2, the French stumbled upon Samori's sofas. Both sides were surprised. In a battle on March 14, the French had to retreat. They left Kong, and the city promised loyalty to Samori in April. This led to two years of peace.
Third Mandingo War: The Final Fight (1897-1898)
France wanted to control Bouna. They also wanted to keep Samori and the British apart. A French captain named Paul Braulot tried to make a protection agreement. But Samori Toure refused. He only wanted to live away from the French.
In April 1897, the British Governor of the Gold Coast tried to scare Saranken Mori. He was Samori's son and a commander in the area. The British wanted him to leave Bouna. When this failed, British soldiers marched on the town. But they were defeated at Dokita. Later, they were routed, and their commander was captured at Wa.
France knew the British would react strongly to this defeat. So, they sent Braulot again with armed soldiers. He tried to get Bouna through talking. Saranken Mori first agreed. But when Braulot arrived at Bouna, he was killed. His soldiers were destroyed outside the city on August 20, 1897. This started the war again between France and Samori Toure.
Samori's Capture
On May 1, 1898, the capital of the Kenedougou Kingdom, Sikasso, fell. This allowed French colonial soldiers to attack Samori Toure with all their strength. He was forced to move again, this time towards Liberia.
Samori hoped his army could find food and supplies as they marched. But the mountains of western Ivory Coast were new to them. The local people were unfriendly, and French attacks continued. This journey became a disaster.
French Captain Henri Gouraud got information from soldiers who left Samori's army. He surprised Toure's forces at Guelemou on September 29, 1898. He captured Samori Toure without a fight.
