Battle of Lougou
Encyclopedia
The French Voulet-Chanoine Mission
, led by the captains Paul Voulet and Julien Chanoine, had been dispatched in 1898 to Africa
by the French government with the mission to conquer the territories between the Niger River
and Lake Chad
and join in uniting French territories in West Africa
. After leaving French Sudan
in January 1899, they ruthlessly subjected the native peoples, meeting little resistance.
One of the few to resist was the sorcerer queen Sarraounia
, ruler of the Azna, a pagan
people in a long Islamized
region. Determined to bar the expedition's road, Sarraounia wrote to Voulet a provocative letter full of insults; the French took up the challenge, and on April 15 left the camp, marching towards the villages of Lougou and Tougana, where Sarraounia had concentrated her forces.
The day after, at 6:00, started what Lt. Paul Joalland
called "one of the hottest moments of the campaign". The French found the enemy assembled on the field, while women and children had already retired themselves in a small thick and almost impenetrable bush where the Azna defended themselves when facing a superior enemy. After the Azna had started to disperse under the French gunfire, their lines broke when hit by three grapeshot
balls; the Azna then retreated in the bush, where the thick foliage partly protected the natives from the gunfire.
The French felt that if left there, the Azna may attack them at night; so it was decided to assault the bush, but being careful to leave a way of escape for the Azna open, so to avoid a too deadly confrontation that could cost too much blood. The French met a strong resistance, killing two riflemen and wounding four, but were at the end successful and forced the Azna to escape.
The battle had protracted itself till 13:00, and among the French tirailleur
s four were killed and six wounded, with 7,000 cartridges
consumed.
Voulet-Chanoine Mission
The Voulet–Chanoine Mission or Central African Mission was a French military expedition sent out from Senegal in 1898 to conquer the Chad Basin and unify all French territories in West Africa...
, led by the captains Paul Voulet and Julien Chanoine, had been dispatched in 1898 to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
by the French government with the mission to conquer the territories between the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
and Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
and join in uniting French territories in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. After leaving French Sudan
French Sudan
French Sudan was a colony in French West Africa that had two separate periods of existence, first from 1890 to 1899, then from 1920 to 1960, when the territory became the independent nation of Mali.-Colonial establishment:...
in January 1899, they ruthlessly subjected the native peoples, meeting little resistance.
One of the few to resist was the sorcerer queen Sarraounia
Sarraounia
Sarraounia was a Queen of the African Azna people, who ruled in a region of Western Africa during the late 19th century.She was ruler of an animist group of Eastern Hausa. Queen Sarraounia of the Aznas fought the French colonial troops in 1899...
, ruler of the Azna, a pagan
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
people in a long Islamized
Islamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...
region. Determined to bar the expedition's road, Sarraounia wrote to Voulet a provocative letter full of insults; the French took up the challenge, and on April 15 left the camp, marching towards the villages of Lougou and Tougana, where Sarraounia had concentrated her forces.
The day after, at 6:00, started what Lt. Paul Joalland
Paul Joalland
Paul-Jules Joalland is a French officer, known mainly for completing the Voulet-Chanoine Mission.He was one of the six officers of the latter expedition, and was an artillery expert with the rank of lieutenant...
called "one of the hottest moments of the campaign". The French found the enemy assembled on the field, while women and children had already retired themselves in a small thick and almost impenetrable bush where the Azna defended themselves when facing a superior enemy. After the Azna had started to disperse under the French gunfire, their lines broke when hit by three grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
balls; the Azna then retreated in the bush, where the thick foliage partly protected the natives from the gunfire.
The French felt that if left there, the Azna may attack them at night; so it was decided to assault the bush, but being careful to leave a way of escape for the Azna open, so to avoid a too deadly confrontation that could cost too much blood. The French met a strong resistance, killing two riflemen and wounding four, but were at the end successful and forced the Azna to escape.
The battle had protracted itself till 13:00, and among the French tirailleur
Tirailleur
Tirailleur literally means a shooting skirmisher in French from tir—shot. The term dates back to the Napoleonic period where it was used to designate light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns...
s four were killed and six wounded, with 7,000 cartridges
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
consumed.