[1] Refusing to engage hostilities with the warlord without orders, the commander of the French outpost, Captain Monségur, sent an envoy to Samori, in attempt to convince him to lift the siege.

[3] This village of several thousands inhabitants held a relative importance in the region, and Borgnis-Desbordes wanted to establish a permanent French outpost on this location before it could fall into the hands of Samori's forces.

[4] On the morning of 2 April, Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes led a 242-men strong column to attack the position where the Wassulu force was camping, on the shores of the Woyowoyanko river, a few kilometers away from Bamako.

Once he deemed that Piétri's men had gotten enough rest, Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes decided to attempt another attack on the Woyowoyanko river, with his force that now counted 371 soldiers and an artillery section.

This time Borgnis-Desbordes attempted no frontal attack, and instead opted for an envelopment, sending his vanguard through a badly guarded defile to turn the Wassulu positions.

[4] In the abandoned Wassulu camp, the French found a large quantity of food, which came in handy to them as their poor supply chain had left suffering from hunger during the previous month.