Junta-led Mali, which has severed ties with France amid growing tensions, announced on Tuesday its decision to withdraw from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), an international group of French-speaking nations.
This move came just a day after its regional allies, Niger and Burkina Faso, declared similar intentions.
In a letter directed to its French counterpart, Mali’s foreign ministry articulated its reasoning: “Mali cannot remain a member of an organisation whose actions are incompatible with constitutional principles based on the state’s sovereignty.”
This statement underscores the nation’s commitment to asserting its independence amidst a changing geopolitical landscape.
Mali was previously suspended from the OIF in August 2020 following a military coup that unseated its president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who had been in power since 2013. The OIF had previously called for Keita’s release and the formation of a swift transition government dominated by civilian leadership, highlighting the ongoing political turmoil in the country.
On Monday, Burkina Faso and Niger, both also led by military regimes and similarly distancing themselves from their former colonial power, France, announced their withdrawals from the OIF.
In solidarity, these three nations have simultaneously exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to establish their own Sahel Confederation, which indicates their shift towards alternative alliances, including those with Russia.
Niger, having experienced its military coup that ousted elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, was also suspended from the OIF, along with Mali.
The OIF, headquartered in Paris, is dedicated to promoting the French language and fostering political, educational, economic, and cultural cooperation among its 93 member countries, but it now faces significant challenges as these nations assert their autonomy and redefine their international relationships.
