Gabon and Togo, two countries colonized by France and with no historical ties to the United Kingdom, have joined the Commonwealth, an organization composed entirely of English-speaking countries. This membership calls into question the relations between France and its former colonies and imposes a reflection on the Francophonie and the opportunities that it confers on its colonized countries.
The organization headed by Queen Elizabeth II, which includes 54 nations, most of them former British colonies, accepted Togo and Gabon’s application for membership at the end of its leaders’ summit in Rwanda on June 24.
French interference challenged in Africa
This act of accession is a strong message given to France, which policy is not necessarily to the taste of its former colonies. Indeed, in some African countries, an anti-French feeling is expressed, denouncing the interference of the hexagon in the internal policies of its former colonies.
The demonstrations of last Saturday, May 14 in Chad are living proof that the African populations are tired of French policy on the continent. In Mali, the situation is even worse, where nine years after the deployment of the Serval operation in 2013, which became Barkhane in 2014, French presence in Mali is highly compromised and contested. In recent months, the relationship between France and Mali has deteriorated to the point where Paris has become Bamako’s scapegoat. In Burkina, anti-French demonstrations also took place towards the end of last year and continued until the beginning of this year when several thousand people demonstrated in Kaya, the capital of the Centre-North region of Burkina Faso. The population opposed the passage of a large logistical convoy of the French army in transit to neighbouring Niger and demanded the departure of French troops from Burkina. This is a feeling gaining ground, especially in the Sahel.
The dynamism of the Commonwealth
Joining the Commonwealth, the English-speaking community of 2.5 billion people, can attract new investors. Moreover, the English language is the language of business and the English-speaking world is much more dynamic economically than the French-speaking world. The model of Rwanda, which has enjoyed an economic expansion since joining the Commonwealth in 2009, is illustrative. Indeed, at the accession ceremony, Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said that membership of the Commonwealth, with its 2.5 billion consumers, would “help it develop closer ties with English-speaking countries, thus opening up new horizons outside France’s sphere of influence in West Africa. The Gabonese leader added that “Sixty-two years after its independence, our country is preparing to break through with a new chapter. It is a world of opportunities for Gabon on the economic, diplomatic and cultural levels.
The monetary dependence of French-speaking Black Africa
More than half a century after independence, the monetary dependence of the countries of French-speaking Africa is still a subject of debate and regularly resurfaces. Whereas in countries colonised by Britain such as Nigeria and Ghana, for example, trade was conducted using national currencies. The former African colonies, especially those in French-speaking black Africa, still suffer from deep scars caused, among other things, by the dependence of their trade on the Hexagon and the pegging of their currency to the French treasury, via the CFA mechanism. Such a situation cannot allow a real take-off of the economies concerned. Consequently, the monetary issue clearly appears to be a brake on the development of trade. As long as the former colonies do not free themselves from the CFAF, their economies will leave it.
Moreover, Togo, one of the poorest countries in Africa, by joining the Commonwealth is choosing to open up the field and break out of its stagnation. About half of Togo’s urban population lives in slums, on about $1.90 a day. Life expectancy in the country is only 60.5 years, almost 12 years below the world average. Gabon has long been a key country for France on the continent. But today, the influence of France is no longer the same as in the past, because Gabon’s main partner is no longer France, but rather China.
Africa, with nineteen members, forms the largest contingent of Commonwealth countries. Rwanda joined in 2009 and is the 54th member. With the accession of Togo and Gabon, the organisation now has 56 member countries.
