5 - Resisting the French Empire

Summary

The chapter analyzes the organization of the Soninke’s resistance and its various forms. It shows how through high tariff barriers, taxes on caravans of captives, taxes on trips to the gold mines, assassinations, political alliances, and control over the circulation of information, the Bacili weakened French trading activities and also dissuaded slave traders in captives from entering Gajaaga. Assassinations in particular were a frequent strategy used by the Soninke in Gajaaga to eliminate French agents and their local allies from negotiations. The Bacili additionally utilized tactics of dispersion and impediment. Dispersing captives consisted of attacking the caravans and freeing the captives, allowing them to escape to Gajaaga, Bambuxu or Futa Toro. The Soninke also deliberately impeded Europeans commercial operations. The Bacili held back European ships in villages for as long as possible by stretching out negotiations on the taxes required for passage, thus exposing them to epidemics, of which they died in large numbers.