76:
333:
172:
68:
428:
263:
By midday, seeing that his men were exhausted by thirst and heat, Colonel
Borgnis-Desbordes decided to retreat to Bamako rather than attempt another assault. Though their losses had been rather light, this engagement was a failure for the French, who had their attack checked by the Wassulu warriors.
393:
For the next week, both forces retained their respective positions, with Fabu's
Wassulu cavalry making occasional raids on Bamako. On 9 April, Captain Piétri detachment came back to Bamako. Once he deemed that Piétri's men had gotten enough rest, Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes decided to attempt another
255:
On the morning of 2 April, Colonel
Borgnis-Desbordes led a 242-men strong column to attack the position where the Wassulu force was camping, on the shores of the Woyowoyanko river, a few kilometers away from Bamako. Borgnis-Desbordes, hoping to achieve a quick victory with a bold assault, ordered a
251:
On 30 March, a detachment under
Captain Piétri was sent toward the outpost of Guinina, where Wassulu warriors had attacked the telegraphic line. Arriving there on 1 February, Piétri found no trace of the enemy, but some survivors from the village of Sibi, that had been ravaged by Wassulu warriors,
439:
Although anachronistic, as Samori and his warriors were also seen as foreign oppressors by the people of late 19th century Mali, who hated them for their unprecedented brutality and mass enslavement of the locals, this point of view has gained a lot of traction in the modern era, as resentment
91:. This village of several thousands inhabitants held a relative importance in the region, and Borgnis-Desbordes wanted to establish a permanent French outpost on this location before it could fall into the hands of Samori's forces. Marching slowly, the column reached the French post of
416:, with only a few hundreds warriors continuing to fight to slow down the French advance. In the abandoned Wassulu camp, the French found a large quantity of food, which came in handy to them as their poor supply chain had left suffering from hunger during the previous month.
435:
Despite being short-lived and strategically insignificant, the success of 2 April 1883 has retained a great cultural importance in Mali, where it is seen as a symbol of
African resistance against French colonialism.
102:
linking it to Kayes. By March 1883, the situation was rather dire for the French, as illness and skirmishes had left them with only about 450 men fit for combat out of their initial force of 542 soldiers.
252:
told him of a
Wassulu presence near the village of Kalasa. Piétri and his men spent the next week skirmishing with small Wassulu parties in the area, before eventually regaining Bamako on 9 April.
260:
was initially successful in pushing back the enemy lines, but the French were eventually flanked on both sides and ended up having to withdraw back on the other side of the river.
419:
Their lack of cavalry preventing the French from capitalizing on the enemy rout, the losses of the
Wassulu remained relatively light in spite of their complete defeat.
95:
on 16 December. The column left Kita on 7 January, and, after fighting a skirmish at Daba on 16 January, eventually reached Bamako on the morning of 1 February 1883.
397:
On 12 April at dawn, the French departed Bamako and set toward the
Wassulu camp. This time Borgnis-Desbordes attempted no frontal attack, and instead opted for an
64:
to engage in retaliations against the
Wassulu. With a column of 220 men, Borgnis-Desbordes engaged in several skirmishes with Wassulu forces during February 1882.
447:
In 2001, the Malian government created the "Parc des Sofas" on the location of the battle, to honor the memory of
Wassulu warriors. A large statue depicting a
75:
507:
359:
233:
198:
56:
in Kita. Refusing to engage hostilities with the warlord without orders, the commander of the French outpost, Captain Monségur, sent an
654:
60:
to Samori, in attempt to convince him to lift the siege. However, Samori made the French envoy prisoner, an action that prompted
444:
ideology in post-independence Mali has led to Samori's memory being vindicated and he came to be recognized as a national hero.
67:
568:"Slave Emancipation, Trans-Local Social Processes and the Spread of Islam in French Colonial Buguni (Southern Mali), 1893-1914"
40:
The first hostilities between France and Samori Ture began in early 1882, after Samori's forces laid siege to the village of
244:), at the head of about 3,000 Wassulu warriors, devastated several pro-French villages around Bamako, and destroyed the
639:
83:
On 22 November 1882, a French column of 542 soldiers under Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes left the French outpost of
20:
are two military engagements that were fought near the Woyowoyanko river in April 1883, during the wars between
394:
attack on the Woyowoyanko river, with his force that now counted 371 soldiers and an artillery section.
649:
634:
354:
193:
61:
427:
644:
257:
98:
The French promptly started to build a military fort in Bamako and began the construction of a
513:
337:
176:
469:
245:
99:
8:
595:
587:
406:
49:
599:
471:
Histoire des colonies françaises et de l'expansion de la France dans le monde. Tome 4
579:
448:
342:
181:
25:
583:
628:
281:
120:
412:
The manoeuvre succeeded, and the Wassulu army soon disbanded in a chaotic
441:
398:
256:
frontal attack., After crossing the river, Captain Fournier's company of
29:
41:
591:
567:
92:
45:
512:. Mémoires de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire. Archived from
489:
487:
485:
483:
481:
402:
53:
478:
431:
Statue of a Wassulu warrior on the location of the battlefield.
332:
305:
171:
144:
88:
57:
21:
52:, its inhabitants sent a request for assistance to the French
84:
413:
44:. As this village was allied to the pro-French village of
549:
547:
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
523:
493:
467:
520:
626:
267:
468:Martineau, Alfred; Delafosse, Maurice (1931).
106:
565:
426:
74:
66:
71:Bamako at the turn of the 20th century.
627:
553:
505:
612:
248:that had been erected by the French.
13:
87:in order to occupy the village of
14:
666:
655:African resistance to colonialism
617:. Simon and Schuster. p. 13.
440:against French colonial rule and
331:
232:In March 1883, Samori's brother
170:
409:to turn the Wassulu positions.
606:
572:The Journal of African History
559:
499:
494:Martineau & Delafosse 1931
461:
451:of Samori's army was erected.
1:
454:
35:
615:We Need to Talk About Africa
509:Samori. Une révolution dyula
275:Second Battle of Woyowoyanko
268:Second Battle of Woyowoyanko
79:Map of Bamako in April 1883.
7:
566:Peterson, Brian J. (2004).
114:First Battle of Woyowoyanko
107:First Battle of Woyowoyanko
10:
671:
48:, where the French had an
584:10.1017/S0021853704009521
422:
378:
365:
355:Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes
348:
324:
287:
279:
274:
217:
204:
194:Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes
187:
163:
126:
118:
113:
62:Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes
640:Military history of Mali
405:through a badly guarded
304:Woyowoyanko River, near
143:Woyowoyanko river, near
432:
349:Commanders and leaders
258:Senegalese tirailleurs
188:Commanders and leaders
80:
72:
18:Battles of Woyowoyanko
506:Person, Yves (1968).
430:
379:Casualties and losses
236:(also referred to as
218:Casualties and losses
78:
70:
474:. Plon. p. 201.
613:Young, Tom (2018).
433:
81:
73:
650:Conflicts in 1883
635:History of Bamako
391:
390:
320:
319:
230:
229:
159:
158:
662:
619:
618:
610:
604:
603:
563:
557:
551:
518:
517:
503:
497:
491:
476:
475:
465:
387:relatively light
336:
335:
289:
288:
272:
271:
246:telegraphic line
175:
174:
128:
127:
111:
110:
100:telegraphic line
32:in West Africa.
670:
669:
665:
664:
663:
661:
660:
659:
625:
624:
623:
622:
611:
607:
564:
560:
552:
521:
504:
500:
492:
479:
466:
462:
457:
425:
330:
308:
270:
169:
155:Wassulu Victory
147:
109:
38:
12:
11:
5:
668:
658:
657:
652:
647:
645:1883 in Africa
642:
637:
621:
620:
605:
558:
519:
516:on 2017-08-28.
498:
496:, p. 201.
477:
459:
458:
456:
453:
424:
421:
401:, sending his
389:
388:
385:
381:
380:
376:
375:
372:
368:
367:
363:
362:
357:
351:
350:
346:
345:
343:Wassulu Empire
340:
327:
326:
322:
321:
318:
317:
316:French Victory
314:
310:
309:
303:
301:
297:
296:
293:
285:
284:
277:
276:
269:
266:
228:
227:
224:
220:
219:
215:
214:
211:
207:
206:
202:
201:
196:
190:
189:
185:
184:
182:Wassulu Empire
179:
166:
165:
161:
160:
157:
156:
153:
149:
148:
142:
140:
136:
135:
132:
124:
123:
116:
115:
108:
105:
37:
34:
26:Wassulu Empire
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
667:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
632:
630:
616:
609:
601:
597:
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
562:
555:
550:
548:
546:
544:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
524:
515:
511:
510:
502:
495:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
473:
472:
464:
460:
452:
450:
445:
443:
437:
429:
420:
417:
415:
410:
408:
404:
400:
395:
386:
383:
382:
377:
373:
370:
369:
364:
361:
358:
356:
353:
352:
347:
344:
341:
339:
334:
329:
328:
323:
315:
312:
311:
307:
302:
299:
298:
295:12 April 1883
294:
291:
290:
286:
283:
282:Mandingo Wars
278:
273:
265:
261:
259:
253:
249:
247:
243:
239:
235:
225:
222:
221:
216:
212:
209:
208:
203:
200:
197:
195:
192:
191:
186:
183:
180:
178:
173:
168:
167:
162:
154:
151:
150:
146:
141:
138:
137:
133:
130:
129:
125:
122:
121:Mandingo Wars
117:
112:
104:
101:
96:
94:
90:
86:
77:
69:
65:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
33:
31:
27:
23:
19:
614:
608:
575:
571:
561:
514:the original
508:
501:
470:
463:
446:
438:
434:
418:
411:
396:
392:
325:Belligerents
280:Part of the
262:
254:
250:
242:Keme Bourama
241:
237:
231:
164:Belligerents
134:2 April 1883
119:Part of the
97:
82:
39:
17:
15:
554:Person 1968
442:Pan-African
399:envelopment
30:Samori Ture
629:Categories
578:(3): 427.
455:References
238:Keme Brema
36:Background
600:162825662
360:Fabu Ture
234:Fabu Ture
199:Fabu Ture
403:vanguard
366:Strength
300:Location
205:Strength
139:Location
54:garrison
42:Kiniéran
24:and the
592:4100753
50:outpost
598:
590:
423:Legacy
407:defile
374:~3,000
338:France
313:Result
306:Bamako
213:~3,000
177:France
152:Result
145:Bamako
89:Bamako
22:France
596:S2CID
588:JSTOR
384:light
226:light
223:light
85:Kayes
58:envoy
449:sofa
414:rout
292:Date
131:Date
93:Kita
46:Kita
16:The
580:doi
371:371
240:or
210:242
28:of
631::
594:.
586:.
576:45
574:.
570:.
522:^
480:^
602:.
582::
556:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)
.jpg)
