Samori
Toure was a leader of Mandinke Empire, Toure became a well-known leader,
training and commanding a growing and disciplined army. He expanded his
conquests, building a united empire called Mandinka. By 1874, he declared
himself Faama (monarch), and established the capital of his kingdom at Bisandugu
in present-day Gambia. In the 1880s, the empire expanded
from Bamako, Mali, in the north, to the frontiers of British
Sier
ra Leone
, the Ivory Coast, and Liberia in the east and south. The Sudan was the eastward frontier. Toure’s empire reached its apogee between 1883 and 1887, a period in which he took the title of Almami, meaning the religious head of a Muslim empire[1]. The forces behind this conflict between Samori Toure and French are as follow;
ra Leone
, the Ivory Coast, and Liberia in the east and south. The Sudan was the eastward frontier. Toure’s empire reached its apogee between 1883 and 1887, a period in which he took the title of Almami, meaning the religious head of a Muslim empire[1]. The forces behind this conflict between Samori Toure and French are as follow;
French incursions into Toure’s empire led to the exodus of
the entire nation eastward[2].
Military conquest by French, France began to expand aggressively in West Africa in the late
1870s, pushing eastward from Senegal in an attempt to reach the upper
portions of the Nile in what is now Sudan. They also sought to drive
southeast to link with their bases in Côte d'Ivoire These moves put them
directly into conflict with Samori's expansionist policies and military forces.
Religious
reason, this also seems to be the influential factor which forced The Mandinka
Empire under Samori Toure to resist the imposition of French colonialism in
West Africa. Many people of West Africa particularly those around Mandinka
Empire were converted to Islam that means they had a faith to Islamic religion,
hence the act of accepting or agreeing to be dominated by white men it meant
that to accept Kaffir, the issue which could not be agreed by pure Muslim[3].
As a result, the native resisted strictly and hardly against the colonization
of West Africa by French more than those who were not Muslims.
Ineffective
cooperation by French, Samori Toure signed a treaty with French in march 28,
1886 where he agreed with them to remove his armies till along the Niger river
but he remained with his right to control Wabure and Wamanden wa Kangaba.
Unfortunately, French did not provide full cooperation to Samori Toure instead
they influenced untrust and rebellions to Samori Toure’s civilians as far as
they were preventing him from getting weapons and other tools from Sierra
Leone. Hence, he began to prepare combating militarily against French.
Samori
Toure opposed French ambitions to build an empire in West Africa[4].
He first fought the French in 1883, when they occupied Bamako on the Niger
River. After the French carried out a successful offensive in 1886, Samori
accepted their protection with the Niger as his frontier. In the late 1880s,
after failing to expand to the east at the expense of Tieba, the king of
Sikasso (in present-day southern Mali), he renewed his war with the French in
1891.
He wanted
to secure his diplomatic position, In the second half of the nineteenth
century, European powers decided to establish colonies in West Africa and could
not tolerate strong states like the Mandika Empire and for the same reason,
strong leaders like Samori Toure, Toure was not delighted with domination of
West African societies by French particularly in his society Mandinka because
he knew that he would loose his position as leader of Mandika Empire that is
why he began to resist against French domination[5].
He wanted
to maintain peace and security among the Malinke peoples[6].
Samori’s iron will and personality won him support from a number of Malinke
chiefs who allowed themselves to be persuaded to share Samori’s belief in the
necessity of Malinke unity. From now on, the forces at Samori’s disposal grew apace;
he made Sanankoro the main base of operations for his ever-growing army.
Therefore, by having this support from Malinke chiefs Toure was able to clash French
intrusion into his empire.
Generally,
The inevitable conflict between the political agendas of Samori and the French
interests occurred in February 1882, when a French expedition attacked one of
Samory’s armies besieging Kenyeran. Samori was able to drive the French off,
but he was alarmed at the discipline and firepower of the European military.
[1] Yves Person, Black history pages capture of Samori Toure
(1978, New York Times publishers, New York )p.280.
[2] Ibid, p.282
[3] Lapidus Ira, A history of Islamic societies (1973,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge) p.426
[4]Osae T.A and Odunsi, A.T.O, A short history of West Africa A.D.1800 to
the present day (1973, University of London Press Ltd, London)p.25
[5] Ibid, p.28
[6] Ibid
good stuff.....
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