ICYMI: Mali Renames ECOWAS Square to Confederation of Sahel States Square

Mali has renamed ECOWAS Square in its capital, Bamako, as Confederation of Sahel States (AES) Square, according to an announcement from the office of Prime Minister Major General Abdoulaye Maïga on December 24.

This was part of the initiative to replace colonial-era names of Bamako streets, squares, and public buildings with those honouring national heroes.

A press release from the Prime Minister’s office stated that approximately 30 locations in the capital were renamed to reflect figures and events more meaningful to Mali’s history and identity.

This ceremony also marked the baptism of some thirty roads, squares and public buildings in the District of Bamako, replacing names […] which evoke nothing in the collective Malian memory. Many roads and public buildings in Bamako until now glorified figures and events linked to the colonial period, to the detriment of national heroes, the statement read.

The decision follows a December 13 ruling by Mali’s Council of Ministers to rename a square, streets, and institutions in the capital after national heroes rather than colonial heroes and restore the nation’s sovereignty and cultural identity.

The move comes in the context of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formally leaving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier this year to establish the Confederation of Sahel States.

It will be recalled that members of the confederation have also rejected a proposal from ECOWAS for a six-month transition period before the three countries withdraw from the regional bloc.

The renaming shows Mali’s ongoing efforts to reclaim its historical and cultural narrative while emphasising the nation’s shift toward greater regional cooperation within the newly formed alliance.

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