SPIEF 2024
The 2024 edition of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) takes place from June 5 to 8. The theme of this year's event is “The foundation of a multipolar world - forming new points of growth”.

СFA Franc Hinders African Countries' Development, Chadian Expert Says

© AP Photo / BEN CURTISA bank teller counts piles of old-style West African CFA Franc banknotes at a bank in Dakar, Senegal Monday, Sep. 13, 2004.
A bank teller counts piles of old-style West African CFA Franc banknotes at a bank in Dakar, Senegal Monday, Sep. 13, 2004.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 09.06.2024
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The CFA Franc is a currency used by several West African and Central African countries. It stands for "Franc de la Communauté Financière d'Afrique" (French for "Franc of the African Financial Community"). The currency is managed by the French Treasury and is backed by a guarantee of convertibility into euros.
FA franc hinders African countries' development, Ahmat Tahir Bakhit, the head of the Russian House in Chad, told Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the 2024 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), arguing that of the states that use this currency "imposed by another power," many are "the poorest in the world today."

"We can't cooperate with Russia or China if France doesn't give us permission. If France isn't happy, if it's angry with this or that African country, it can block all investments; it can freeze the accounts of these states," Bakhit explained.

Bakhit appreciated the idea of creating a BRICS currency "that does not depend on the dollar" and thus could reduce dependence on the United States.
"BRICS is the future of the world. One of the reasons for this is that the member countries "do not interfere in the internal affairs of others" and have never "exercised colonial practices," Bakhit said.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the 2024 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which is being held in St. Petersburg, Russia, from June 5 to 8. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 08.06.2024
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The other point for the group is that in terms of GDP and industry, "these are the most industrialized countries in the world today," the representative of the Russian House in Chad added.
There are even European countries "allied with the West that hope to join the BRICS, but they can't voice their intention for fear of sanctions," he said.
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