On October 10, 1898, a French military expedition commanded by the Lieutenant de vaisseau Henri Bretonnet and the Lt. Solomon Braun left France directed to Chad, at the time dominated by the Muslim warlord Rabih az-Zubayr.

With the missions were the envoys of the Muslim rulers Mohammed al-Senoussi and Abd ar Rahman Gwaranga, sultan of Baguirmi, whom captain Émile Gentil had brought to France a few months earlier.

[1] Passing first by the Congo River and then by the lands controlled by Mohammed al-Senoussi, Bretonnet reached on June 15[2] the French post of Kouno and met with the king of Baguirmi Gaourang.

While the second attack was also repulsed, it subjected the Baguirmians to heavy pressure, who began to flee their positions; at this point the third and last assault came, which completely annihilated Bretonnet's column.

One of the prisoners, the sergeant Samba Sall, escaped a few days later and reached the village of Gaoura, where on 16 August he met the Gentil Mission, and informed them of the disaster.