-
Burkina Faso: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Quit International Francophone Organisation
RFI, 20 March 2025
As French-speaking countries celebrate International Francophone Day, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have this week announced their withdrawal from the International Organisation of… Read more »
-
Africa: What Is International Francophonie Day?
RFI, 20 March 2025
Held on 20 March, International Francophonie Day - or, in the spirit of the day, Journée internationale de la francophonie - celebrates the French language, spoken by more… Read more »
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Quit Francophone Organization
In separate communications, the military governments in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawals from the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF). This follows similar withdrawals by the three nations from the Economic Community of West African States which took effect in January.
Their exit from the Francophone nations will come into force within six months.
All three nations were suspended by the OIF after military coups. The Sahel states have been clear in their aim to distance themselves from France, their former colonial power.
The Sahel nations formed the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES) in September 2023 after the West African political bloc ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to restore civilian rule after a coup in Niger that year. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are under the control of juntas after successful coups.
InFocus
-
The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), West Africa's regional bloc, has approved an exit timeline for Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger after a nearly year-long Read more »
-
The military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have reaffirmed their decision to withdraw from the West Africa regional bloc, ECOWAS. despite the body's offer of a six Read more »
