Absolutely crazy what they were able to impose “after” decolonizing.

These accords are very well-known in Africa, but not so much outside of the continent. Translated from French, they dictate the following eleven terms:

The newly independent states must pay back the entire cost of infrastructure built by France during colonial rule [this is known as the colonial debt].

National financial reserves are automatically confiscated, held by the Bank of France. Since 1961, France “holds” the financial reserves of 14 countries. When those states wish to use their money, they must first ask permission from France to release the funds. Only 15% of this 500 billion dollars reserve is available to each country every year. If they want to “borrow” more, they have to contract a commercial loan.

When natural resources are newly discovered in the françafrique territory, they must first be offered to France for exploitation — taking priority over even national companies. Only when France says that they refuse to exploit these natural resources can the contract be offered to someone else.

When a public contract is offered (i.e. when the state is looking to contract a private company to fulfill a need), it must first be offered to French companies.

Françafrique countries must also use the Franc CFA (African Financial Community Franc). This is the only legal tender, and its value is relative to the euro (and the franc before the euro was adopted in 2001). In fact, France specifically decides that the CFA is worth every year, allowing them to make it weaker as needed which reduces the cost of imports to France and allows for more extraction of wealth from the continent.

Moreover, twice a year françafrique countries must send a report on their finances to the French ministry. Failure to do so means they will not be allocated all 15% of the funds they are “allowed”.

France has an exclusive right to furnish weapons and train African officers. This allows France to train thousands of military officers in France, and co-opt them for their own colonial needs.

France also has a right to deploy troops and intervene militarily anywhere in the country/ies. They are also allowed to station French troops indefinitely and without prerequisite permission anywhere in françafrique territory.

African countries are not allowed to form any military alliance with any other state without France’s approval, whether that state is African or not.

In case of war or global crisis, they must also ally with France.

Finally, french must be the official language of the country and must be taught in schools. France has actually created a vast international network to enforce its language across the world: this is known as the “Francophonie”, an official organization which promotes the french language, but they also open private schools globally and there are indeed very few countries in the world which do not have at least one French school (which teaches classes in french and follows the French curriculum).