Graffiti in five West African capitals, namely Ouagadougou, Bamako, Niamey, Dakar, and Lome, has appeared on walls, calling for economic liberation and national sovereignty.
All graffiti is critical of the CFA franc. This currency was established in 1945 by France for use in Paris colonies across the continent. It is currently used in eight West African countries.
The use of CFA franc, which is closely linked to the euro, is seen as a colonial legacy and an obstacle to economic development in West Africa, local media said, explaining why the pictures appeared in the streets.
In June, Assimi Goïta, the transitional president of Mali, accused France of producing fake CFA franc notes in order to harm the country's economy.
As an illustration, Goïta cited the period in 2022 when regional bloc ECOWAS sanctions forced Bamako to rely on Guinea for its trade. In actuality, Malians paid three times as much in port fees in this nation.
The quest to substitute the CFA franc remains one of the topics that has been debated a lot lately among former French colonies in Africa. In April, Lui Francois, the director of the nonprofit organization Way to Success, told Sputnik Africa, "We are not free if our financial flows are controlled."