France blocks visas to students from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

France will suspend visas for students from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, reports French media outlet Radio France Internationale (RFI), September 18 – a move which many will say is pure petulance from Emmanuel Macron who is responsible for these countries no longer being vassals of the Elysee.

France’s Foreign Ministry told the AFP on September 16 that students from the three West African countries would not be granted visas.

The controversial move follows a suspension of visas for artists coming from the three countries.

Recently, Nigerien singer and flutist, Yacouba Moumouni criticised France, who banned cultural venues from hosting artists from the country.

The artist said, “The French should respect us (Nigeriens). If we say, “ah I’m not going to give a visa” that’s like saying to a child “ah if you don’t do that, I can’t buy you a sweet.” We are not at that level, we have gone beyond that.”

Various artists from the West African region have echoed his sentiments.

Campus France, an agency specialised in higher education , stressed that scholarships given to students from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will remain valid.

On what many have dubbed a “boycott”, the Foreign Ministry responded to the scrutiny saying, “we (the French Foreign Ministry) never gave instructions to suspend cooperation with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, or its citizens. It is France’s cooperation with these three countries that is suspended, given the security and political context,”

The Sahel region regularly experiences turmoil, it has been fighting against a wave of Islamist insurgencies linked closely to ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

Just over 5,000 French troops are based in the region partly to assist it in its fight against Islamist extremist groups.

It is believed that Paris has shunned the three countries due to the tense political climate in the region and their increasingly anti-French stances.

Just as recently as July, violent shenanigans in Niger resulted in President Bazoum’s removal of power by the junta. This prompted France to temporarily cease cooperation with the turmoil-stricken country on July 29.

Just a week later (August 6), France suspended ties with Burkina Faso, after stopping cooperation with Mali back in November 2022.

Following the recent coup d’etat , Mali and Burkina Faso stood in defiance against the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by giving Niger a sympathetic arm around the shoulder.

Last month, military leaders from Mali and Burkina Faso were welcomed to Niger’s capital, Niamey, by the country’s new ruler, General Abdourahamane Tiani.

Niger allowed Burkina Faso and Mali’s troops to be present on Nigerien soil should the ECOWAS bloc intervene forcefully to reinstate Mohamed Bazoum.

France has also said that it is prepared to intervene militarily in Niger.

RFI/AFP

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