Lassana Kanté

Eco and CFA Franc: Continuation or Rupture of Colonial Legacies
in Postcolonial Monetary Sovereignty?

Colonies Françaises d'Afrique (CFA) has been created in 1945 by colonial France. Since the end of direct colonization, debates on monetary sovereignty and independence are raised by peoples and intellectuals. The use of CFA in West Africa in postcolonial context has raised questions on the relations between the ex-colonizer and the ex-colonized. In West Africa, the geographical and political space remains divided in two zones: the West African Economic and Monetary Community, and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community also known as Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community. CFA was partially governed by colonial France. In Contrast, Eco refers to a single currency that the Economic Community of West African States proposed for the economic integration and monetary independence in West Africa. In opposition to CFA, the Eco has been designed as decoupled from the institutions of France. The latter reflects a new perspective on economic identity and ideology. The present paper seeks to analyze the representation of sovereignty in reference to the two economic currencies, CFA and Eco. In other words, we aim to study the decolonial image of West African monetary currency in reference the transition from CFA to Eco.

Cite: Kanté, Lassana 2025. Eco and CFA Franc: Continuation or Rupture of Colonial Legacies in Postcolonial Monetary Sovereignty? Holistic Science Publications, Holistic Archive, p.9-24, Finland.
https://www.holistic-science-publications.com/holistic-archive/