Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have announced their withdrawal from the International Organization of La Francophonie, prompting mixed reactions among residents. The move marks another step for the three countries, united under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), in their growing distance from France—politically, militarily, and now culturally. La Francophonie is made up of French-speaking countries around the world and aims to promote the French language and cooperation among member states. But for many in the AES countries, speaking French represents a dark colonial legacy. "I think we need to look to the future, to choose a common language for the AES and make sure that the people of the AES can really live better without the French language. French is not our mother tongue. It is a borrowed language, a colonizer's language, which must be abandoned," said Abdou Mamane Lokoko, president of the Network of Education Sector Organizations in Niger. Anti-French sentiment has ramped up in these three countries in recent years since military regimes took over. They have dismissed French Ambassadors, told French troops to withdraw and banned some French media. Burkina Faso and Mali have even dropped French as an official language. Still, some are calling for a cautious approach. "You don't give up a language overnight. It takes a lot of preparation and thought. It is true that the majority of Malians, especially in the south of the country, are in favor of promoting Bambara. But the issue has to be put on the table for discussion," said Koureichy Cisse, a Malian analyst. "Actually, I just want to understand the ins and outs of this decision. I want to know what will happen next. I'm currently a student of French language and grammar. If leaving La Francophonie means that French will no longer be used as an administrative language, what will happen to our diplomas? What will they be used for?" said Ouattara Mariam, a student from Burkina Faso. The International Organization of La Francophonie is comprised of 93 member states, and French is spoken by about 300 million people across the world. The organization has expressed regret about the three countries' departure. The video shows: Niamey, Niger - March 19-20, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 1. National flags of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso 2. Various of street scene, national flags of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, traffic, pedestrians 3. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed in English) Abdou Mamane Lokoko, president of Network of Education Sector Organizations, Niger (starting with shot 2/ending with shots 4-5): "I think we need to look to the future, to choose a common language for the AES and make sure that the people of the AES can really live better without the French language. French is not our mother tongue. It is a borrowed language, a colonizer's language, which must be abandoned." 4. National flags of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso 5. Symbol for Alliance of Sahel States (AES) 6. Coat of arms of Burkina Faso, Coat of arms of Mali, Coat of arms of Niger Mali - March 19-20, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 7. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed in English) Koureichy Cisse, Malian analyst (starting with shot 6): "You don't give up a language overnight. It takes a lot of preparation and thought. It is true that the majority of Malians, especially in the south of the country, are in favor of promoting Bambara. But the issue has to be put on the table for discussion." Burkina Faso - March 19-20, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 8. SOUNDBITE (French, dubbed in English) Ouattara Mariam, student from Burkina Faso (ending with shot 9): "Actually, I just want to understand the ins and outs of this decision. I want to know what will happen next. I'm currently a student of French language and grammar. If leaving La Francophonie means that French will no longer be used as an administrative language, what will happen to our diplomas? What will they be used for?" Niamey, Niger - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland) 9. Various of street scene, traffic, pedestrians [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]