ABSTRACT

Taking the opportunity of the 60th anniversary of independence of the former French colonial empire, this article addresses the issue of being ‘Republics' for the Francophone African states in sub-Saharan Africa. From the history of decolonisation and the milestones of the independence process in Francophone Africa, the article shows how that process was torpedoed by France, in order to guarantee a continuous presence in Africa and to preserve control over its former territories for its vested interests. Even after 60 years of independence, the decolonisation process appears to be unfinished. The article also emphasises that the current poor political system of governance in Francophone Africa lies in the concept of Republic and has a lot to do with history. Therefore, for the Francophone African states to assume mastery over their own destinies, they need to reconsider their historical legacy within the challenge of having their identity as ‘Republics’ as their sole reference.

摘要

借着前法国殖民帝国独立60周年的机会，本文探讨了撒哈拉以南非洲法语国家的“共和国”问题。从非殖民化的历史以及法语国家非洲独立进程的里程碑来看，这篇文章说明了法国如何破坏该进程，以确保在非洲的持续存在并为既得利益保留对非洲旧领土的控制权。即使在独立60年之后，非殖民化进程似乎仍未完成。文章还强调说，非洲法语国家当前不良的政治治理体系在于共和国的概念，并且与历史有很大关系。所以，