Bokar Biro Barry
| Bokar Biro Barry | |
|---|---|
| Died | 13 November 1896 Porédaka |
| Nationality | Fulbe |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Last Almami of the Imamate of Futa Jallon |
Bokar Biro Barry (or Boubacar Biro) (died 13 November 1896) was the last independent ruler of the Imamate of Futa Jallon in what is now Guinea. He died in the Battle of Porédaka, when his forces were destroyed by French artillery.
The Imamate of Futa Jallon was one of the last independent states in Senegambia, in the highlands where the Gambia River and Senegal River both rise. It was established as a theocratic state in a jihad launched in 1725 by Karamokho Alfa, and consolidated by his successor Ibrahim Sori. The state was a loose federation of nine provinces, each headed by chief. Two political factions emerged, the Alfaya and Soriya, supporters of the descendants of the first two rulers. A power sharing arrangement evolved under which the position of almami, the head of state, was alternately filled by an Alfaya or Soriya candidate.
By the late nineteenth century the French were the dominant colonial power in the region, and were increasingly impatient with the Futa Jallon's hostility. They were angry with the support Futa Jallon was giving to Samori Ture's Wassoulou Empire, which was also resisting French control. In 1889 the British made a treaty with the French that recognized that Futa Jallon was within the French sphere. However, the British in Freetown, Sierra Leone, continued to give subsidies to Futa Jallon until 1895.
Bokar Biro belonged to the Soriya faction. His base was Timbo, the capital of the Futa Jallon federation. In 1890, the long reign of the Almami Ibrahima Sori Dongolfella ended with his death, triggering a power struggle. The Council of Elders selected Bokar Biro's elder brother as ruler. Bokar Biro took power in a coup after assassinating his brother, and began placing men loyal to him in positions of authority. Bokar Biro had to cope with struggles between the Alfaya and Soriya political factions, and attempts by the rulers of the Labé, Timbi and Fugumba provinces to obtain more autonomy. Also, both slaves and ordinary free people were leaving the country for the less oppressive French-controlled zones.
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