In the Hodh and the Mauritanian coast, the Beydani tribes. It is necessary to state that our military detachments often delayed the resolution of this issue. While efforts were being made with President Sidi to try and draw him into reconciliation, the problem of his submission, on the other hand, was presented to the supreme authority and appeared to be an intractable problem, one that could only be resolved by force, particularly by seizing Bafoulabe. In reality, the influence of the Oulad Allouch tribe extended over two regions: the coast, through the circles of Sokolo and Kita, and the Timbuktu region, through the circles of Sombe and Ras el Ma. Each of these regions had prepared a plan for a military campaign, and each was racing to implement it. The governor was forced to issue a stern order, suppressing the enthusiasm he considered premature, and strictly forbade reconnaissance officials from crossing the line of wells. He affirmed that he would not occupy the village of Bafoulabe at all, as he deemed it unwise policy to occupy commercial coastal centers. This was a wise decision, as these reconnaissance operations prevented the Oulad Allouch from entering French-controlled territories until they came to present their sincere proposals. Sheikh Ben Sidi was summoned from both sides, as the coastal region claimed that Bafoulabe fell within the sphere of influence of Sokolo, and therefore protested the efforts of the Timbuktu region. According to the coastal region, the Timbuktu region was preventing negotiations from reaching their conclusion and demanded to be solely responsible for negotiating with the men of Oulad Allouch. The governor agreed to this proposal and ordered the northern region to avoid any disputes detrimental to peace and to cease reconnaissance operations, in November 1896. It later became apparent that Sheikh Ben Sidi had hardened his stance due to these various entreaties, bolstered by our evident hesitation. He had only one objective: to prolong negotiations indefinitely, to avoid military action against him, and to protect his crops, relying on our desire to negotiate while looting continued under the guise of endless evasive promises. This maneuver was clearly exposed. After deceiving the military posts, he then approached Goundam, Sokolo, and Sombe, claiming it was better to converse with one than the other, and so on. Until the various district commanders received a firm order to send him to Sokolo. The commander of this latter district informed him of the conditions set by the governor for concluding peace. Once again, he began to procrastinate, discussing these conditions point by point. Since everything was done through delegates who, at the last moment, declared they could not bind him while he was victorious, days and months passed. Reconnaissance operations had ceased by official order because they hindered negotiations, at a time when the warriors found no objection to resuming their operations.