Samori Ture

A 19th-century West African leader who resisted French colonialism and established the Wassoulou Empire.

Samori Ture (c. 1796–1898) was a visionary Malian leader who founded the Wassoulou Empire in present-day Mali, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. His resistance against French colonial expansion in West Africa from 1882 to 1898 made him a symbol of African sovereignty. Ture transformed his army into a modern force using European firearms and strategic fortifications, delaying French control for over a decade. Captured in 1898, his legacy inspired later anti-colonial movements. Learn more on Wikipedia and AfricanHistory.About.com.