Samori Toure

A 19th-century leader who resisted French colonialism and redefined West African statecraft

Samori Toure (1830-1900) was a Malian military strategist and founder of the Wassoulou Empire. His innovative use of fortified mud citadels combined with mobile cavalry units allowed his army to resist French colonial forces for 17 years. The empire he built stretched across modern-day Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Key innovations included standardized taxation systems and a professionalized standing army. His military reforms inspired later resistance movements like the Mahdist uprising in Sudan. Read more about his siege warfare tactics here. Despite eventual defeat, his legacy lives in contemporary African historiography as a pioneer of anti-colonial state formation.