MALI has made a groundbreaking decision to drop French as its official language with the adoption of a new constitution. The constitution was overwhelmingly passed with 96.91 percent of the vote in a June 18 referendum, bringing about significant changes in the country’s linguistic landscape.
Under the new constitution, French will no longer serve as the official language of Mali. Instead, it will take on the role of the working language, while the 13 national languages spoken across the country will receive official language status. This move recognises the linguistic diversity of Mali, where about 70 local languages are spoken. Some of these languages, including Bambara, Bobo, Dogon, and Minianka, were already granted national language status through a decree in 1982.
The historical moment was marked on Saturday when Mali’s junta leader, Col. Assimi Goita, put the new constitution into effect, heralding the beginning of the Fourth Republic in the nation. The presidency expressed that the new constitution holds the key to rebuilding the country, following a series of political upheavals and coups.
Mali had experienced two subsequent coups in recent years, one in August 2020 and another in May 2021, which contributed to the call for constitutional reforms. Since assuming power in the August 2020 coup, the military in Mali has emphasized the importance of the new constitution as a critical step towards the country’s recovery and political stability.
The adoption of the new constitution not only marks a significant shift in language policy but also sets the stage for Mali’s future as it embraces its linguistic diversity and moves forward as the Fourth Republic. The junta had previously pledged to hold elections in February 2022 but decided to postpone them to February 2024, aiming to create a solid foundation for a democratic and stable governance structure.
