The military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have recently announced their withdrawal from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), marking yet another decisive step in their ongoing efforts to sever ties with France and decolonise their nations. This move follows their earlier departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the expulsion of French and Western military forces from their territories (BBC, 2024).
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
The OIF, akin to the 56-member Commonwealth of Nations for Anglophone countries that were former territories and colonies of the British Empire, refers to men and women who share a common language: French. The OIF estimates that there are over 321 million French speakers across five continents (OIF, 2023). It has been dedicated, since 1970, to promoting the French language and political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among the 93 member countries.
Currently led by Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo, the OIF implements multilateral francophone cooperation projects alongside the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie) and four operating agencies: Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (Association of Francophone Universities), TV5MONDE, Association internationale des maires francophones (International Association of Francophone Mayors), and Université Senghor (Senghor University) in Alexandria (OIF, 2023).
Its mission mandates are to promote the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity; promote peace, democracy and human rights; support education, training, higher education and research; and foster economic cooperation to bolster sustainable development.
The Decolonisation Agenda
The three junta-led Sahelian nations have been systematically dismantling France’s lingering post-colonial influence since the military leaders took office. This decolonisation trajectory has seen the expulsion of French troops, the cutting of economic and political ties with Paris, and the gradual erosion of French cultural dominance in these countries (Al Jazeera, 2024). Notably, Niger and Burkina Faso have already replaced their French-composed national anthems with new ones that reflect indigenous identity and anti-colonial sentiment. Furthermore, the three nations have signalled their intent to replace the CFA franc with a new common currency, the Sahel (Reuters, 2024).
The OIF, founded to promote the French language and francophone cooperation in former French colonies, has been seen by these nations as an extension of neo-colonial control (BBC, 2024). By exiting this organisation, the three states have demonstrated their resolve to assert full sovereignty over their political, economic, and cultural affairs. The withdrawal aligns with their broader efforts to build a new regional order free from French influence, with their newly formed Sahel confederation serving as the cornerstone of this vision (Al Jazeera, 2024).
Breaking Away from Neo-colonialism
Historically, France has maintained a stronghold over its former African colonies through mechanisms like the CFA franc, economic dependencies, and military interventions. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, one of the continent’s most outspoken critics of the Western world’s relationship with the continent, has previously exposed how France has continued its economic dominance over francophone Africa through the so-called ‘Pact for the Continuation of Colonisation,’ or Franceafrique (Chihombori-Quao, 2024).
Speaking on the theme: ‘Imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism – the three axes of evil for Africa,’ at the 14th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures & Congregation in Cape Coast, Ghana, organised by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Monday, 19 August 2024, the former African Union Representative to the United States observed that while slavery and colonialism were more frontal, neo-colonialism is rather subtle as in the case of France’s continued colonisation of its former colonies post-independence (Chihombori-Quao, 2024).
Those countries, Ambassador Chihombori-Quao noted, “got it worse” since “As they were receiving their independence from France, they were made to sign a document which they call, ‘The Pact for the Continuation of Colonisation’. On the one hand, ‘We [French] want you to sign this document telling you that you are free but on the other hand, we want you to sign this other document called, ‘The Pact for the Continuation of Colonisation’ that simply says, ‘You agree to be colonised in a different way.’ The animal simply changed clothes,” she noted.
“And what was so bad about the Pact for the Continuation of Colonisation?” wondered Ambassador Chihombori-Quao sarcastically. “It says, ‘Your minerals, discovered and yet-to-be-discovered belong to France [and] French companies have the first right of refusal. Your bank reserves – at that time it was 80 per cent – are going to be deposited with France; and should you need some of those funds, you have to put in an application for a loan with the French Central Bank and if approved, you can only access 20 per cent of what you deposited the previous year as a loan at the commercial interest rate.’”
Emphasising the gravity of the pact, she noted: “You have been depositing money for the past five years, the past ten years and when you need your own money, you have to apply for it as a loan at the commercial interest rate and if approved, you can only access 20 per cent of what you deposited the previous year. The rest is gone. France is keeping it.”
According to her, the “records show that France would invest those funds in the French Stock Market with returns in excess of 300 billion a year and France kept all that since the 1950s to this day.”
Additionally, she continued: “Your military could only be trained by France. Your military equipment could only be bought from France. Your language of instruction could only be French. So, if you were to be a president of any of the former French colonies, [on] your first day in office, your chief of staff will come to you and say, ‘Mr President, I must read to you what is stipulated by the ‘Pact for the Continuation of Colonisation’ because if you do not follow this, your head could find itself hanging from a tree,’ so, Mr President, you have to deposit 85 per cent of your bank reserves with France. Mr President, you cannot do anything about your natural resources, French companies have the first right of refusal. Mr President, your military can only be trained by France. Mr President, you can only buy military equipment from France. If you [stick to] those main basic things, Mr President, you are free to run your country any way you want.’”
Fighting the Neo-colonist exploitation
The post-2020 coups in the Sahel, led by military officers with strong anti-French sentiments, reflect a groundswell of popular rejection of this continued exploitation (Peoples Dispatch, 2023). Leaders like Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso and Colonel Mamadou Doumbouya of Guinea have openly criticised Western interference in African affairs, framing their movements as a return to true African sovereignty rather than military dictatorship. The recent withdrawal from the OIF further exemplifies this ideological shift towards self-determination and the rejection of neo-colonial structures (VOA, 2023).
In a speech in Russia, Traoré noted that post-colonial African leadership had failed Africa by becoming Western puppets and beggars across the world in place of utilising their resources for development on the continent. He was pushing for the dismantling of colonial ties that continued to benefit Europe and North America in general and France, in particular, in the post-colonial era. He also lamented the enduring imperialism, slavery, and erasure of Africans’ contribution to world history, which is a subject of coloniality (Peoples Dispatch, 2023). Traoré also spoke against Western interference in African affairs clocked under issues of democracy and human rights, while in reality, these are simply interventionist tactics meant to maintain a stranglehold on Africa by removing unpalatable leaders and replacing them with pliant ones, as well as the double standards of some African leaders who support Western dominance on the continent (Peoples Dispatch, 2023).
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Guinea’s military leader Col Mamadou Doumbouya, also echoed similar sentiments as follows: “We Africans are insulted by the boxes, the categories which sometimes place us under the influence of the Americans, sometimes under that of the British, the French, the Chinese, and the Turks … Today, African people are more awake than ever and more than ever determined to take their destiny into their own hands” (VOA).
Towards a New Sahelian Order
The decision to exit the OIF must be viewed within the broader context of the AES countries’ reorientation towards alternative partnerships. In place of their historical reliance on France and Western institutions, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have deepened ties with Russia, China, and other non-Western actors (Reuters, 2024). Their pivot to Moscow, particularly in the security domain, has already reshaped regional dynamics, with Russian military assistance replacing that of France and the United States (Al Jazeera, 2024).
Conclusion
While not celebrating the coups that brought them into power, it must be pointed out that these junta leaders have embraced a more Pan-Africanist stance, emphasising the importance of African self-reliance and intra-African cooperation. The formation of the Sahel confederation signals their intent to chart a new course independent of traditional Western-dominated institutions. With a focus on indigenous governance models, economic independence, and security cooperation, this new alliance has redefined West Africa’s geopolitical landscape (BBC, 2024).
Their withdrawal from the OIF marks a significant milestone in their quest for decolonisation. This move, coming on the heels of their departure from ECOWAS and the expulsion of French military forces, underscores their determination to reclaim sovereignty from neo-colonial entanglements and chart a new path by taking their fate into their hands without the strings of Western conditionalities. They seem determined to define what cultures and values they assimilate as sovereigns without a hegemonic imposition from France. Their drift towards Russia and China – two countries who deal with them as ‘brothers’ rather than ‘masters’ – perhaps buttresses the strong desire to break free from the decades-old French shackles.
As the rest of Africa and the world watch their every move to see if they succeed or not with their decolonisation agenda, it is important that their new-found friends – Russia and China – don’t become another neo-colonist in the long run. Replacing one familiar neo-colonist with an unfamiliar one would be a great tragedy for the Sahel. Despite the uncertainties, one thing remains very clear: the winds of change are sweeping through the Sahel, and the AES countries are at the forefront of a new wave on the continent of Africa.
References:
• Al Jazeera. (2024). Sahel nations withdraw from OIF. Retrieved from [Al Jazeera website]
• BBC. (2024). Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger exit Francophonie. Retrieved from [BBC website]
• Chihombori-Quao, A. (2024). Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lecture Speech. University of Cape Coast.
• OIF. (2023). Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie: Mission and Membership. Retrieved from [OIF website]
• Peoples Dispatch. (2023). Ibrahim Traoré’s anti-colonial stance. Retrieved from [Peoples Dispatch website]
• Reuters. (2024). AES countries deepen ties with Russia and China. Retrieved from [Reuters website]
• VOA. (2023). Guinea’s leader speaks at UN General Assembly. Retrieved from [VOA website]
