Abdullah Ocalan vs Maba Diakhou Ba

Abdullah Ocalan founded the PKK in 1978 as a Marxist-Leninist organization seeking Kurdish independence. The group launched an armed insurgency against Turkey in 1984, leading to a decades-long conflict that has caused tens of thousands of deaths.

Ocalan was captured in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 15, 1999, by Turkish intelligence operatives. He was brought to Turkey and put on trial. His capture was a major blow to the PKK and led to a temporary ceasefire.

In 1999, Ocalan was sentenced to death by a Turkish court for treason and separatism. However, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002 after Turkey abolished the death penalty as part of EU reforms.

From his prison cell, Ocalan called for a ceasefire in March 2013, initiating a peace process with the Turkish government. The process collapsed in 2015, but it represented a significant attempt to end the conflict.

Maba Diakhou Ba launched a religious war (jihad) against non-Muslim rulers in the Senegambia region. He aimed to establish an Islamic state and convert the population, leading to widespread conflict and the creation of a short-lived theocratic state.

Maba Diakhou Ba's forces were defeated by a coalition of French colonial troops and local allies at Nioro. This battle marked a turning point in his campaign, weakening his military power and limiting his territorial control.

Maba Diakhou Ba was killed in battle against French colonial forces at the Battle of Somb. His death ended the jihadist movement in Senegambia and led to the collapse of the Islamic state he had established.