By Emmanuel Nduka
Mali’s military junta has announced its decision to leave the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), following in the footsteps of Niger and Burkina Faso.
The move comes as the country, which severed ties with France, challenges the OIF’s alignment with its constitutional principles.
Mali, suspended from the group after a 2020 coup, cited the incompatibility of the OIF’s actions with its sovereignty.
The departure marks a significant shift as the three nations, which have increasingly turned to Russia and distanced themselves from French influence, form their own Sahel confederation, also breaking away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
French influence continues to wane across the region, with former colonies rebranding cities and public spaces once named after their colonizers.
