History

Saraouniya (queen in Hausa) Mangou is especially known for the resistance her community in Lougou showed against the Voulet-Chanoine mission. At a time when many West African kingdoms surrendered to the French without a fight, the community of Lougou, under the leadership of Saraouniya Mangou, battled the colonial troops commanded by Captains Voulet and Chanoine in April 1899.

Saraouniya is described by Lieutenant Joalland as an “old witch” who deliberately defied the French as they approached her village, sending them an insulting message promising to block their path and boasting about the invincibility of her warriors. On April 16, 1899, the French troops arrived at Lougou, where the Azna warriors confronted them. The battle, pitting bows against cannons, was uneven. Due to the resistance of Lougou’s warriors, the encounter proved costly for the colonial troops, resulting in four deaths, six injuries, and the loss of about 7,000 cartridges.

The Aznas retreated into the forest but reclaimed Lougou after the French left, having burned and ruined the village. Saraouniya was reportedly taken away by her warriors during the battle and was later buried in the Saraouniya cemetery in Lougou.

Myth and Fame

The memory of Saraouniya Mangou has been preserved for decades in local oral tradition.

Her fame spread widely from 1980 onwards, thanks to Abdoulaye Mamani’s book, “Sarraounia: The Drama of the Magic Queen,” a novel that highlights her resistance to the colonial troops. The book portrayed her as a young warrior, even though Lougou tradition holds that a Saraouniya is always an elderly woman who does not partake in battles and whose only weapon is her distaff.

The book had a tremendous media impact, turning Saraouniya Mangou into an icon of resistance against colonization, widely known in Niger, Africa, and beyond. Films, ballets, plays, children’s books, school textbooks, songs, documentaries, and more have been dedicated to her. Schools, radio stations, TV channels, hotels, and restaurants bear her name.

On May 23, 2024, the “Saraouniya Mangou” Sovereignty Medal was established to honor individuals or organizations “who have particularly distinguished themselves through acts of patriotism, commitment, and/or sacrifice for the cause of national sovereignty.”

Saraouniya Mangou is highly celebrated, but few people know that the tradition of the Saraouniya continues in Lougou today, and Saraouniya does not receive appropriate recognition within the traditional chieftaincy.