Flag of the Wassoulou Empire The Wassoulou Empire, sometimes
referred to as the Mandinka Empire, was a short-lived
(1878–1898) empire of West Africa built from the conquests of
Dyula ruler Samori Touré and destroyed by the French colonial
army. In 1864, Toucouleur ruler El Hajj Umar Tall died near
Bandiagara, leaving the then-dominant Toucouleur Empire
tottering and a number of chiefs rushing to break their own
pieces away from the newly-weakened federation. By far the most
successful among them was Samori Ture of what is now
southwestern Guinea. Samori's army was well equipped with
European firearms and a complex structure of permanent units.
His army was divided into an infantry wing of sofa (Mandinka for
infantry, usually slaves) and a cavalry wing. By 1887, Samori
could field 30,000 to 35,000 infantry and about 3,000 cavalry.
Infantry were divided into units of 10 to 20 men known as a "se"
or "kulu". Cavalry were divided into bands of 50 horsemen called
a "sere". Kulus were under the command of a Kun-Tigu