▁Sen eg al ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁later ▁an nex ing ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Guinea ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁as ▁the ▁R ivi ères ▁du ▁Sud ▁col ony . ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁renamed ▁French ▁Guinea ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁included ▁within ▁the ▁French ▁West ▁Africa ▁col ony . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁France ▁had ▁gained ▁control ▁the ▁upper ▁valley ▁of ▁the ▁Niger ▁River ▁( rough ly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁modern ▁M ali ▁and ▁Niger ). ▁France ▁occupied ▁this ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ; ▁M ali ▁( then ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁French ▁Sud an ) ▁was ▁originally ▁included , ▁along ▁with ▁modern ▁Niger ▁and ▁Bur k ina ▁F aso , ▁within ▁the ▁Upper ▁Sen eg al ▁and ▁Niger ▁col ony , ▁however ▁it ▁was ▁later ▁split ▁off ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁col ony ▁of ▁French ▁West ▁Africa ▁( A frique ▁occident ale ▁française , ▁abbre vi ated ▁A OF ). ▁The ▁precise ▁date ▁the ▁Guinea - M ali ▁boundary ▁was ▁drawn ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁uncertain , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁drawn ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁formal ▁institution ▁of ▁French ▁Guinea ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ; ▁the ▁border ▁was ▁later ▁described ▁in ▁more ▁detail ▁in ▁a ▁French ▁ar re te ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁