France has suspended student mobility with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso and told new students from these countries who are about to start their studies in France that they may not come. Current scholarship students without valid visas will also not be able to travel to France.
The French government cited security reasons behind the suspension of visas for new students from the three countries. But the decision has sparked criticism as a result of deteriorating diplomatic relations between France and some of its former colonies in the Sahel. The academic community in Africa says France should reconsider its decision. Peter Kwasi Kodjie, secretary general of the All Africa Students’ Union, based in Ghana, said that while the organization understands France’s desire to express its disapproval of military coups, it is disappointed by France’s decision, which will disrupt the educational plans of students in these countries. (There were two coups in Niger in July 2023, two in Burkina Faso in 2022 and two in Mali since 2020. The last coup on the continent took place in Gabon in August 2023) Kodjie said: “This movement seems to represent ongoing colonial tendencies. It’s an attitude towards countries that are perceived to be rebelling against the French population. At the same time, it is hypocritical to exclude Gabon from the scope of the suspension, given that Gabon, which is experiencing a similar political crisis, does not face such punitive measures. We call on France to reconsider this double standard.”
