Niger announced on Monday that it was withdrawing from the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), a significant move that marks a further breakdown in the country’s relations with the international body. The announcement was made via a note issued by Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent to the country’s diplomatic missions abroad.
The note, signed by Secretary-General Laouali Labo, did not offer specific reasons for the decision. However, it instructed the heads of Nigerien missions worldwide to inform their respective jurisdictions of the withdrawal. This marks the latest chapter in a deteriorating relationship between Niger and the OIF, which has been strained since the military coup on July 26, 2023, that ousted the democratically elected government.
Relations between Niger and the OIF soured sharply after the coup, as the Francophonie, a global organization promoting the French language and cultural diversity, expressed concern over the political instability. In December 2023, the OIF suspended Niger from all its bodies, citing the coup as a violation of the organization’s principles regarding democratic governance.
Shortly after the suspension, Niger’s new military authorities declared they would suspend all cooperation with the OIF, a move that signaled the country’s growing estrangement from international organizations aligned with Western interests.
Niger, a founding member of the OIF, has been a key player in the organization, which includes 88 member states and governments across Africa, Europe, and the Americas. However, the coup and subsequent political shifts have placed the country at odds with many of its traditional partners, including former colonial power France.
Niger’s withdrawal from the Francophonie follows similar moves by other countries in the region. Burkina Faso, which also experienced a military coup in 2022, officially notified its withdrawal from the OIF shortly after Niger’s announcement. Mali, another country in the Sahel region that has seen a military junta rise to power, is also expected to follow suit, further isolating the region from the Francophone world.
The withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso, and potentially Mali, signals a broader trend of anti-Western sentiment and growing disillusionment with international institutions that have been perceived as aligning with former colonial powers. These developments are likely to have long-term implications for the future of the Francophonie, as well as for the political and diplomatic landscape of the Sahel region.
As tensions continue to rise, the withdrawal of these countries from the OIF represents a significant shift in the geopolitics of French-speaking Africa, with new alignments and challenges likely to emerge in the coming months.
