The return of al-ḥājj Umar to Senegambia from the east, his involvement in Bundunke political decisions, and his subsequent jihāds, proved an important turning point in the fortunes of the Bundunkobe. Their homeland became a principal theater for the struggle between the French and the followers of al-ḥājj Umar over control of the upper valley. With the advent of the Shaykh, the forces of militancy fought both within Bundu and the Upper Niger. By the end of the contest, however, these forces had moved permanently to the Upper Niger, leaving behind a Bundu largely devastated by war, and under the French-imposed leadership of Bokar Saada.

Materials for the Umarian period are relatively abundant, and are a blend of exogenous, intermediate, and secondary varieties. The first two types are heavily biased against Umar, as is to be expected. The major difficulty with all of the sources, as has been true up to this point in Bundu's development, is their inability to provide significant insight into Bundu's internal dynamics.