NIAMEY, Dec 31 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Niger has suspended all co-operation with the International Organisation of Francophone Nations (OIF), citing concerns about its close ties to former colonial ruler France, days after President Emmanuel Macron’s administration closed its embassy in Niamey.
This comes after a July 2023 coup that saw the military seize power and expel French troops stationed in the country.
The OIF, while initially condemning the coup, sought to maintain programs benefiting civilians and promoting democracy. However, Niger’s government views the organization as a tool of French interests and advocates for decolonization and promoting national languages.
Niger’s government called for African nations to embrace their languages, advocating decolonization of thought per Pan-Africanism’s principles.
The 88-member body defending the French language “has always been used by France as an instrument to defend French interests”, said a spokesperson for Niger’s ruling junta on national television late on Sunday.
The OIF had already suspended most cooperation with Niger last week because of the coup, but said it would maintain those programmes “directly benefiting civilian populations, and those contributing to the restoration of democracy”.
The organisation’s stated mission is to promote the French language, support peace and democracy, and encourage education and development in Francophone countries around the world, many of which are former French colonies.
“The government of Niger calls on the African people to decolonise their minds and promote their own national languages in accordance with the ideas of the founding fathers of Pan-Africanism,” said the junta’s statement.
The junta seized power in Niger in July in a coup, which was strongly condemned by France and their Western allies. The duration of the military’s hold on power remains undecided, pending a national dialogue focused on inclusivity, with no specified schedule announced yet. — NNN-ALLAFRICA
