The Battle of Porédaka (13 November 1896) was a minor engagement in which French colonial troops decisively defeated the last forces of the

Imamate of Futa Jallon The Imamate of Futa Jallon or Jalon (; or ' , ), sometimes referred to as the Emirate of Timbo, was a West African Islamic state based in the Fouta Djallon highlands of modern Guinea. The state was founded in 1725 by a Fulani jihad and became ...

, after which

Fouta Djallon Fouta Djallon (, , ; ) is a Highland (geography), highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa. Etymology The Fulani people call the region Fouta Jallon Kingdom, Fuuta-Jaloo ( ) in the Pular l ...

was annexed into the

French Colonial Empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...

Background

Futa Jallon was one of the last independent states in Senegambia. In 1890 Bokar Biro took power in a coup after assassinating his brother, and began placing men loyal to him in positions of authority. A see-saw power struggle commenced, in which Bokar Biro more than once lost and regained power. The French decided to intervene, and sent a small force demanding a treaty with terms that favored their interests against the British. Bokar Biro pretended to sign the treaty, but when the document was examined in Saint Louis, it turned out that in place of his signature Bokar Biro had written "Bismillah", meaning "in the name of God".

Battle

At the end of the rainy season in late 1896 the French dispatched troops from Senegal, Guinea and the Sudan, converging on Futa Jallon. A French column captured Timbo on 3 November 1896. Bokar Biro was unable to enlist the support of the chiefs in resisting the French. On 13 November 1896 Bokar Biro fought a pitched battle on the plain of

Porédaka Porédaka is a town and sub-prefecture in the Mamou Prefecture in the Mamou Region of Guinea. It is located roughly northeast of Mamou. The Battle of Porédaka took place here on 13 November 1896, during which French colonial troops decisivel ...

. He was opposed by a combined force of French troops and Fulbe led by Umaru Bademba Barry. Biro chose the battlefield poorly, as his forces were armed with muskets of poor quality and very limited range, while the tirailleurs were able to mow down the enemy from a distance. After a battle of about an hour's duration Bokar's forces counted 150 dead and 300 wounded, in striking contrast to the tirailleurs' three slightly wounded men. The French artillery destroyed his army. A poet who described the battle said that Bokar Biro kept his word. He did not flee from the French, but was killed by the blast of the cannon. Other sources claim he was captured and killed while attempting to flee.McGowan, Winston. “Fula Resistance to French Expansion into Futa Jallon 1889-1896.” The Journal of African History, vol. 22, no. 2, 1981, p. 259. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/181585. Accessed 20 Jan. 2024. Bokar Biro's son died with him.

Results

The French installed a resident at Timbo. They recognized the independence of Alfa Yaya, a chief who had supported them, and appointed Umaru Bademba as the ''almani''. A few months later a protectorate treaty was signed and in June 1897 Ernest Noirot became administrator of the state. Noirot dedicated himself to eliminating the institution of slavery. At first the French kept the existing system of chiefs in place, although they removed any who were hostile. In 1904 the French restructured the administration, removing the power of the chiefs. In 1905 they arrested Alfa Yaya and sent him into exile.

Notes and references

Citations Sources * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Poredaka 19th century in Guinea French West Africa Fula history

1896 in Africa November 1896