The Yalunka held out for five months and, in the end, were reduced to eating rats and the boiled leather of their sandals and mats. Sewa finally sent his younger brother, Dugu, on a secret mission to obtain aid from the Koranko, but Dugu was captured and executed on a nearby hill in full view of his country-men. Some say that Manga Sewa lost heart and declared his intention to surrender, but that his son, Sewa Saio , insulted him so bitterly that he chose to take his own life. But others tell a different story. They say that Manga Sewa had a magical war gown called munka-tinya - "waste of ammunition" - because no bullet could pierce it. The King could not be destroyed and would not surrender, and his people were ashamed to submit to the enemy so long as their great leader continued to fight.
In this version, Manga Sewa took his own life to give his starving followers a chance to flee or surrender. Whatever the case, great Manga Sewa called his elders, wives and yelibas into the powder magazine and then plunged a flaming torch into the great barrels of gunpowder. An enormous explosion shook the town, and the Mandinka breached the walls and charged inside. Manga Sewa chose an honorable warrior's death, and he presents an extraordinary example of courage and patriotism. He is a historical figure any country would be proud to claim.
