Battle of Kousséri
| Battle of Kousséri | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Rabih War | |||||||
French newspaper view of the death of Lamy, surrounded by Senegalese Tirailleurs. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kanem-Bornu Empire (Rabih loyalists) |
France Kingdom of Baguirmi Kanem–Bornu Empire (al-Kanemi loyalists) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Rabih az-Zubayr † |
Major Lamy † Émile Gentil Paul Joalland René Reibell (DOW) Sanda Kura | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
10,000 men (French sources) |
700 French soldiers 800 Baguirmians | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
1,000–1,500 dead 3,000 wounded (Including civilians) |
28 dead 75 wounded | ||||||
The battle of Kousséri was a major engagement fought between France and the forces of the warlord Rabih az-Zubayr in the Rabih War. The conflict originated in French plans to occupy the Chari-Baguirmi region in modern-day Chad. In 1899–1900, the French organized three armed columns, one proceeding north from Congo, one east from Niger and another south from Algeria. The objective was to link all French possessions in Western Africa, and this was achieved on April 21, 1900, on the right bank of the Chari in what is now Chad opposite Kousséri, in what today is northern Cameroon.