Mali takes decisive step away from colonial tiesMali, which gained independence in 1960 and had been using French as its official language, has now made a decisive change through a recent decision. The country has chosen to use French solely as a working language, marking a significant shift away from its colonial ties.
Resolute stand against French colonial mindset
In the past year, Mali has taken several steps to challenge the French colonial mentality. This included ordering French Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to leave the country in 2022 and banning the broadcast of French television channels RFI and France24.
Withdrawal of French military forces
In its ongoing effort to reject colonialism, Mali witnessed the complete withdrawal of French military forces through the Barkhane Operation. The French General Staff announced that the last Barkhane Force military unit had left Malian territory.
Diplomatic expulsion and recall
In a bold diplomatic move, the Malian government expelled the French ambassador, and in response, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the ambassador's recall.
French no longer an official language
In a move to eliminate all traces of exploitation, Mali took a decisive step by revoking French's status as the official language. The newly approved constitution, passed with an overwhelming 96.91% "yes" vote in a June 18 referendum, officially removed French as a recognized language.
Symbolic gesture: Mali's transitional President and Bayraktar Akıncı TİHA
Images surfaced of transitional President Colonel Assimi Goita posing with a model of Türkiye's domestic Bayraktar Akıncı Tactical Armed Drone (TİHA) on his desk. While Mali's transitional government is already known to use the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone (SİHA), this gesture may hint at the country's potential ownership of the more advanced Akıncı in the future.
Translated by: Khan Muhammad An Nazmus Saqib
