during the war. The war began at seven or eight AM and the city was surrounded at 10 AM, and the king (Manssa) Karonkan Doubouya was arrested and Touré asked him saying : I was informed that you were the person who killed the son of El Hadj Oumarou Tall, Seydou Tall, in this city, is this true? Karonkan said no! Not I did it but God; .. after a long discussion, Samori demanded him to bring his members (head, legs and hands), they brought them and Touré sent them to Dinguiraye for the funeral services. After the battle of Norasoba, they continued their way to the capital of Joma (Dioma), Diolibakodo, but one of his griots was from there, he demanded Faama to allow him to communicate with his community to avoid the blood effusion, after his dialogues with them, they accepted the peace treaty. After the treaty of Diolibakodo and annexation of Fodekareah (Balimana), they crossed the Milo's river and started conquering the eastern river area. He conquered Sakodu and arrested Mansa Soloba Moro (Sölöba-mörö). They then continued their way to annex Kunadou, Dièmèren and Kora-ni-ouélété and then entered the capital of Bate, Kankan, the final treaty was signed under a tree named (Moniuma-yiri): «in case Samory got something that he's confused about, Bate would help him and he too would protect them from all their enemies». In 1864, El Hadj Umar Tall died; he had founded the Toucouleur Empire that dominated the Upper Niger River. As the Toucouleur state lost its grip on power, generals and local rulers vied to create states of their own. By 1867, Ture was a full-fledged war commander, with an army based at Sanankoro in the Guinea Highlands, on the Upper Milo, a Niger River tributary. Ture had two major goals: to create an efficient, loyal fighting force equipped with modern firearms, and to build a stable state. By 1876, Samori was importing breech-loading rifles via the port of Freetown in the British colony of Sierra Leone. He conquered the Buré gold-mining district (now on the border between Mali and Guinea) to bolster his financial situation. By 1878 he was strong enough to proclaim himself Faama (military leader) of his Wassoulou Empire. He made Bissandugu his capital and began political and commercial exchanges with the neighbouring Toucouleur. In 1881, after numerous struggles, Ture secured control of the key Dyula trading centre of