RABAT, March 24. /TASS/. The decision of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, members of the Confederation of Sahel States, to withdraw from The Francophonie points to the weakening of France and French culture’s influence in Africa, said Aliu Tunkara, Malian politician and public figure.
"The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from The Francophonie is a natural step. And this is an obvious indication of the continued weakening of the influence of France and the French culture in Africa. The reasons for this step by the Alliance of Sahel States countries are clear: The Francophonie is one of the channels for preserving France's influence in Africa, primarily in its former colonies. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Sahel States countries have taken a firm course towards breaking with France and its dictate in various fields," the member of the central bureau of the Supreme Council of Malians Abroad, deputy of the National Transitional Council (Parliament) of Mali, chairman of the parliamentary friendship group Mali - Russia said.
"It is possible that other African countries may want to withdraw from The Francophonie. Moreover, there are growing voices on the continent about the need to demand reparations from Paris for various crimes committed by the French authorities during the colonial period. If this trend continues, France will continue to lose African sources of financing for its economy and military-industrial complex," he told TASS.
Tunkara believes that "France will not ignore the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from The Francophonie." "It will take measures, most likely, sanctions," he added. " However, Paris still has a fairly extensive zone of influence in subtropical Africa, which includes countries such as C·te d'Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Chad, Cameroon and some others."
On March 17, Burkina Faso and Niger said they withdrew from The Francophonie. On March 18, Mali followed suit. The mission of The Francophonie, headquartered in Paris, is to spread the French language, cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as to support peace, democracy and human rights.
For the sake of deeper cooperation and integration
On September 16, 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger established an Alliance of Sahel States with the aim of creating "an African space of sovereignty in the fields of security, politics, geostrategy and economics." On July 6, 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger established an Alliance of Sahel States with the aim of deeper cooperation and integration.
On January 28, 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger said they will withdraw from the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), which, in their opinion, "is under the influence of foreign powers, becoming a threat to the member states and their peoples.".