Kiniéran is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and
sub-prefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
in the
Mandiana Prefecture
Mandiana is a prefecture located in the Kankan Region of Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the no ...
in the
Kankan Region
Kankan Region () is a region of Guinea located in the east of the country. It is the largest region of Guinea by area. The region has five (5) prefectures (Kankan, Kérouané, Kouroussa, Mandiana and Siguiri).
It is bordered by the countries o ...
of eastern
Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
. As of 2014 it had a population of 37,944 people.
After the fall of
Kankan
Kankan ( Mandingo: Kánkàn; N’ko: ߞߊ߲ߞߊ߲߫) is the largest city in Guinea in land area, and the third largest in population, with a population of 198,013 people as of 2020. The city is located in eastern Guinea about east of the ...
to
Samory Toure in 1880, one of the city's leaders,
Daye Kaba, fled to Kinieran. He reached out to
Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes
Gustave Borgnis-Desbordes (22 October 1839 – 18 July 1900) was a French Général, general. He was a major figure in the French colonial empire, French Imperial conquest of the French Sudan, modern Mali. He was ''Commandant-Superior'' of the Fr ...
, commander of the French garrison at
Kita, Mali
Kita is a town and Communes of Mali, urban commune in western Mali. The town is the capital of the Kita Cercle in the Kayes Region. It lies on the eastern slope of Mount Kita (Bambara: "Kita-kulu"), known for its caves and rock paintings. Today, ...
, for protection. Toure ignored the French claims to a protectorate, however, and sacked the city on February 21, 1882. The French relief column arrived too late, but pursued the
Wassoulou
Wassoulou, sometimes spelled Wassulu, Wassalou, or Ouassalou, is a cultural area and historical region surrounding the point where the borders of Mali, Ivory Coast, and Guinea meet. Home to about 160,000 people, it is bordered by the Niger Riv ...
army, which turned and fought at Samaya on the 26th. The
sofas traditional frontal charges became a slaughter when faced with the latest French weaponry, but Samori quickly adapted by adopting guerrilla tactics and hit-and-run cavalry attacks. They harassed the French back to the
Niger river
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...
, winning Toure a reputation as the African leader who could stand up to the invading toubab.
References
Sub-prefectures of the Kankan Region
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