Battle of Togbao
| Battle of Togbao | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Rabih War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kanem–Bornu Empire |
France Sultanate of Bagirmi | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Rabih az-Zubayr |
Lt. Henri Bretonnet † Solomon Braun † Lt. Durand-Autier † Gaourang II (WIA) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
2,700 men with firearms 10,000 auxiliaires |
51 French soldiers 400 Bagirmians 3 cannons | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Over 1,000 killed or wounded |
48 French soldiers killed 237 Bagirmians killed 3 cannons captured | ||||||
The battle of Togbao (18 July 1899) was a military confrontation between a French force led by Henri Bretonnet and the forces of the warlord Rabih az-Zubayr, who occupied the Kanem–Bornu Empire. France was supported by a Bagirmian force, led by Gaourang II. The battle was the first engagement of the Rabih War (1899–1901). Rabih defeated the French–Bagirmian force, which increased French determination over the course of the rest of the war.