Mandinka-Franco Wars: West Africa Guerrilla War Tactics Against the French

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 02:00:22 +0200

Most of you may be familiar with the story of Mansa Musa and his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, but have you heard of the last "Malian" king, whose army manufactured its own rifles while fighting a guerrilla war against the French?

The Franco-Mandinka Wars are considered by many scholars to be the first modern wars in Africa, requiring the mobilization of entire populations to assist in the war effort and involving the utilization of modern weaponry on both sides.

Take a look at the deadly and timeless tactics of West African insurgents.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - A Few Kola
04:26 - A Hyena with an Empty Stomach
08:32 - Even Today, the Waters of This Stream are Red

Audio:
The Malians - AoE4 OST

Sources:
- Studies in West African Islamic History: Volume 1 By John Ralph Willis
- Firearms, Horses and Samorian Army Organization 1870-1898 by Martin Legassick
- The empire of Samori Ture on the eve of colonialism (1870-1898) by Isaac Samuel, an excellent Substack article which you can read with the link below :)