9 9 4 ). ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁not orious ▁military ▁dict ators ▁were ▁B ok assa ▁I ▁of ▁Central ▁Africa ▁( 1 9 2 1 – 1 9 9 6 ) ▁and ▁M ob ut u ▁S ese ▁Se ko ▁( 1 9 3 0 – 1 9 9 7 ) ▁of ▁Z aire . ▁ ▁Military ▁history ▁of ▁Western ▁Africa ▁See ▁West ▁Africa , ▁History ▁of ▁West ▁Africa . ▁West ▁Africa ▁has ▁known ▁many ▁ancient ▁emp ires ▁that ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁ancient ▁times ▁and ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁wars ▁of ▁both ▁con quest ▁and ▁defeat . ▁The ▁Gh ana ▁Empire ▁( 7 5 0 – 1 0 3 6 ), ▁Song hai ▁Empire ▁( 1 6 th ▁century – 1 7 th ▁century ), ▁M ali ▁Empire ▁( 1 2 3 5 – 1 5 4 6 ), ▁the ▁B amb ara ▁Empire ▁( 1 6 5 2 – 1 8 6 1 ), ▁T ou cou leur ▁( 1 9 th ▁century ), ▁Ful ani ▁Empire ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁Ful ani ▁War ▁( 1 8 0 4 – 1 8 1 0 )), ▁K én éd oug ou ▁Kingdom ▁( c . ▁ 1 6 5 0 – 1 8 9 8 ), ▁Mass ina ▁Empire ▁( 1 9 th ▁century ) ▁rose ▁and ▁fell ▁as ▁they ▁fought ▁wars ▁and ▁won ▁or ▁were ▁defeated . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁colonial ▁era , ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁Europe ▁sought ▁to ▁car ve ▁new ▁colon ies ▁for ▁themselves . ▁This ▁was ▁made ▁possible