Last modified: 2025-11-15 by rob raeside
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Warning: this flag taken by French General Gouraud has been wrongly
attributed to Samoury Toure, but was in fact taken from
King Faysal in Syria in
1920.
![[Flag of 1898 shown by Lux-Wurm]](../images/g/gn_tou.gif)
image
by Ivan Sache, 21 June 2003
In his book "Les drapeaux de l'Islam" [lux01], P. Lux-Wurm shows a flag
captured to Emperor Samory Toure in September 1898.
The flag is square, horizontally divided blue-blue-white. The upper
stripe is larger than the other ones and of a darker blue than the
stripe placed immediately below it. A red triangle is placed along the
hoist. A white star, very roughly cut from a piece of fabric, is added
on the red triangle.
The flag is kept as a war trophy in the Army Museum in Paris. I guess it
may be hang in the St. Louis-des-Invalides' church, along with other
flags from the colonial period.
In 1872, Samory Toure proclaimed himself King of Sanankoro. He founded
the Malinke Empire of Ouassoulou, which spread from Guinea to Niger and
took the title of "Almamy" (religious chief). In 1880, he opposed to
France but the struggle started in 1885 only. He signed a peace treaty
with France on 1886 and sent his son as his ambassador in Paris.
However, Toure resumed his struggle in 1891. He was able to resist to
the troops led by General Gallieni until 29 September 1898, when he was
captured by Captains Gouraud and Gaden. Toure was exiled to Gabon, where
he died in 1900.
Ahmed Sekou Toure (1922-1984), President of the Republic of Guinea from
the independence 1958 to his death, was a relative of Samory Toure via
his mother.
Ivan Sache, 21 June 2003
Surely Lux Wurm had access to the original flag in the Museum because until now
the published flag of the emperor of Ouassoulou was similar but colors are
black, green, white (the passage of time could have converted the black to dark blue and
the green to light blue?). The flag is supposed to have been taken by General Gourad 29
September 1898, but according to Roger Baert, of the Belgian Vexillological
Society, who studied the affair, the flag was certainly taken by General
Gourad, but when he defetated King Faisal of Syria on 20 July
1920. For years it has been discussed if the flag was from Samory or from Faisal,
and I believe that is pending the last word.
Another flag attributed also to Samory is rose, yellow, green vertical
(supposed inspiration for Sekou Toure when he self-attributed the designing of
the Guinea flag), but there's solid argumentations that this last flag was
from Abd el Kader.
The emblem in the red triangle, unreadable in Lux Wurm, is like a sun with 7
beams bearing a red lozenge in the center according to a reproduction issued by
Jorge Hurtado.
Jaume Ollé, 23 June 2003
Yes, surprising. It seems that the flag was deposited in the
Museum with a note attached, something like "Flag taken from enemy by General Gourad" or so.
Then, when in the sixties it was discovered by vexillologists, each give his own interpretation.
Jaume Ollé, 23 June 2003