▁found ing ▁the ▁Wass oul ou ▁Empire , ▁which ▁extended ▁over ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁present - day ▁Guinea , ▁M ali , ▁Bur k ina ▁F aso , ▁and ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁Sam ori ▁T ure ' s ▁large , ▁well - equ ipped ▁army , ▁which ▁could ▁manufact ure ▁and ▁repair ▁its ▁own ▁fire ar ms , ▁attract ed ▁some ▁support ▁throughout ▁the ▁region ▁from ▁chief s ▁who ▁sought ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁two ▁sides ▁off ▁against ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁French ▁respond ed ▁to ▁Sam ori ▁T ure ' s ▁expansion ▁and ▁con quest ▁with ▁military ▁pressure . ▁French ▁campaign s ▁against ▁Sam ori ▁T ure , ▁which ▁were ▁met ▁with ▁greater ▁resistance ▁than ▁usual ▁in ▁trib al ▁war fare , ▁intens ified ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 9 0 s ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁captured ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁and ▁his ▁emp ire ▁dissol ved . ▁ ▁France ' s ▁im position ▁of ▁a ▁head ▁tax ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁public ▁works ▁program ▁prov oked ▁unexpected ▁protest s . ▁Many ▁I vo iri ans ▁saw ▁the ▁tax ▁as ▁a ▁viol ation ▁of ▁the ▁prote ctor ate ▁treat ies ▁because ▁they ▁felt ▁that ▁France ▁was ▁demand ing ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁cout ume ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁k ings , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁reverse . ▁Many , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁interior , ▁also ▁considered ▁the ▁tax ▁a ▁hum ili ating ▁symbol ▁of ▁submission . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5