Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published an official communiqué on 17 March announcing that Niger is withdrawing from the French-backed international body known as the International Organisation of the Francophonie.
Interestingly enough, the organisation, referred to colloquially as the Francophonie, was founded in Niger during the Niamey Conference on 20 March 1970, regrouping most French-speaking countries on five continents. By 2018, the organisation claimed to represent 321 million French speakers.
The Francophonie is headquartered in Paris and claims to 1) promote French language and cultural and linguistic diversity, 2) promote peace, democracy and human rights, 3) support education, training, higher education and scientific research, and 4) expand cooperation for sustainable development.
However, many have accused the Francophonie of acting as a neo-colonial body that, outside of promoting cultural and scientific exchanges, pushes French-speaking countries toward sharing a foreign policy that revolves around France’s interests. Furthermore, some argue that the organisation funding French language and cultural programmes works against African languages and cultures struggling under French cultural hegemony.
After people-backed coups d’état ousted Western-aligned leaders in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger between 2020 and 2023, the Francophonie suspended each of these states. However, the organisation did not suspend Gabon or Chad, which also ousted leaders during this time.
Algeria is the only former French colony to have rejected membership from the outset, while Niger is the first former French colony to withdraw.
News sources have also reported that Burkina Faso has withdrawn from the Francophonie, but the government has not officially announced a decision.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger broke off diplomatic and military relations with France over the past few years. In October, Niger ‘re-baptised’ streets and monuments that once held French names.
With France’s influence crumbling in the region, is the Francophonie next in line to fall?
Sources
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conférence_de_Niamey
https://africasacountry.com/2020/09/the-specter-of-neocolonialism
https://www.francophonie.org/la-francophonie-en-bref-754
https://www.francophonie.org/119e-cpf-suspension-burkina-faso-et-report-9es-jeux-en-2023
https://www.francophonie.org/le-cpf-suspend-le-niger-des-instances-de-la-francophonie-3037
https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/4144012-20250317-afrique-niger-burkina-faso-tournent-dos-francophonie
https://survie.org/themes/francafrique/article/la-francophonie-un-instrument-de-4824
https://www.jambonews.net/actualites/20181015-francophonie-le-triomphe-de-la-francafrique