222 Global News Post 2

8 West African countries rename currency in historic break from France — but colonial-era debts persist · Global Voices

^{Egbunike, N. & Lichtenstein, A. (2019) President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire delivers remarks before signing a new compact to spur economic growth and private investment in the Francophone West African nation. November 7, 2017, Washington, DC. Photo via the United States State Department, public domain.}

As of 2020, eight West African countries have decided to rename the CFA franc to the Eco, these countries include Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, and Cote D’Ivoire. Upon this change, French officials will not have government representation in these West African banks and members of the states will longer be able to keep half of their reserves in France. There has been backlash because many believe that this does not resolve the problem of France’s historical colonial past in these countries, and how it plays a huge role in the amount of debt that these nations owe to France. The article brings much evidence of France’s colonial history to the forefront to address the amount of debt that these countries have to France and how France’s involvement in these countries to this day has caused a great amount of economic dependence. The article speaks heavily about the continuing colonialization of these countries by France that might not seem like colonialization on paper but how it is definitely still prevalent in every form of development. The authors of this article consists of a Nigerian man and an American woman. The article seems to highlight the change but looks at it in a more negative light that specifically talks about how even though there is a change in currency, it does not mean it will change the dependency of the countries on France or change their economic situation.