In a groundbreaking decision, Mali has chosen to remove French as its official language through the adoption of a new constitution. The constitution, which received overwhelming support with 96.91 percent of the vote in a June 18 referendum, brings about significant changes to the country’s linguistic landscape.
Under the new constitution, French will no longer hold the status of an official language in Mali. Instead, it will become the working language, while the country’s 13 national languages will be recognized as official languages.
This move acknowledges Mali’s linguistic diversity, with approximately 70 local languages spoken across the nation. Some of these languages, such as Bambara, Bobo, Dogon, and Minianka, had already received national language status through a decree in 1982.
The historic moment was commemorated on Saturday when Mali’s junta leader, Col. Assimi Goita, put the new constitution into effect, ushering in the beginning of the Fourth Republic in the country. The presidency expressed that the new constitution holds the key to rebuilding the nation following a series of political upheavals and coups.
In recent years, Mali experienced two successive coups, one in August 2020 and another in May 2021, which led to the demand for constitutional reforms.
Since assuming power after the August 2020 coup, the military in Mali has emphasized the significance of the new constitution as a crucial step towards the country’s recovery and political stability.
The adoption of the new constitution not only signifies a significant change in language policy but also lays the groundwork for Mali’s future as it embraces its linguistic diversity and moves forward as the Fourth Republic.
The junta had previously committed to holding elections in February 2022 but decided to postpone them to February 2024 to establish a strong foundation for democratic and stable governance.
Source – africabriefing.com
