Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso quit international francophone organization
NIAMEY, Niger (MNTV)- Nigeria, a country in West Africa, with a history of French colonization, has announced the country’s withdrawal from the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF) on the International day of Francophonie.
Neighbouring Burkina Faso had already made the same decision, OIF spokesperson Oria K. Vande Weghe told French-language international channel, TV5 Monde this week.
Shortly after Niger and Burkina Faso, Malian authorities announced the same – meaning all three of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) countries have now withdrawn from the organisation, reports All Africa news website.
With a colonial history of nearly a quarter of colonization by French, Nigeria came to be independent by 1960, but significant influence of French mode of social, political and linguistic framework.
With the exit of Niger, the OIF is losing one of its founding members. The organisation was founded on 20 March, 1970, in Niger’s capital, Niamey, under the leadership of then Nigerien president, Hamani Diori.
The objective of the organization is to promote French language, culture and literature in France’s former colonies and French speaking nations.
Niger was, however, suspended from the OIF in December 2023, following its coup d’état. Burkina Faso and Mali were also suspended following their own military coups – with the OIF sanctioning them in 2022 and 2020 respectively.
Nonetheless, the OIF says it considers these multiple exits regrettable.
“It’s never good news to learn that a state wants to leave,” Vande Weghe said. “Of course, we regret the impact this could have on ongoing projects. The secretary-general’s intention will be to seek the opinion of states to see to what extent the OIF can remain engaged with the populations of these countries.”
The three Sahel African states- all of them former French colonies- are increasingly shedding off the yoke of what they see as French neocolonialism and interventionism. In an attempt to asset independence, sovereignty and African nationalism, the three states have withdrawn from the French organization after having removed all French military presence from their territories.
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