on ▁region . ▁Pac ification ▁was ▁not ▁accomplished ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁ ▁Activity ▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁stim ulated ▁European ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁interior , ▁especially ▁along ▁the ▁two ▁great ▁rivers , ▁the ▁Sen eg al ▁and ▁the ▁Niger . ▁Con cert ed ▁French ▁expl oration ▁of ▁West ▁Africa ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁but ▁moved ▁slowly , ▁based ▁more ▁on ▁individual ▁initi ative ▁than ▁on ▁government ▁policy . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s , ▁the ▁French ▁concluded ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁treat ies ▁with ▁local ▁West ▁African ▁chief s ▁that ▁enabled ▁the ▁French ▁to ▁build ▁fort ified ▁posts ▁along ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Guinea ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁permanent ▁trad ing ▁cent res . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁posts ▁in ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁included ▁one ▁at ▁Ass in ie ▁and ▁another ▁at ▁Grand ▁Bass am , ▁which ▁became ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁first ▁capital . ▁The ▁treat ies ▁provided ▁for ▁French ▁so vere ig nt y ▁within ▁the ▁posts , ▁and ▁for ▁trad ing ▁privileges ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁fe es ▁or ▁cout umes ▁paid ▁ann ually ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁chief s ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁The ▁arrangement ▁was ▁not ▁entirely ▁satisf actory ▁to ▁the ▁French , ▁because ▁trade ▁was ▁limited ▁and ▁misunder stand ings ▁over ▁treat y ▁oblig ations ▁often ▁arose . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁maintained ▁the ▁treat ies , ▁hoping ▁to ▁expand ▁trade . ▁ ▁France ▁also ▁wanted ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁to