French conquest worsened regional slave-raiding by tolerating the trade

Evidence

The French conquest of the Western Sudan contributed to these trends by further destabilizing the region; indeed, the French military openly tolerated the continuing trade in slaves in many of their posts for reasons of political expediency. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 112

Categorization

• XREF: Direct counterpoint to France’s self-styled civilizing/antislavery mission — important tension for republican empire narrative.