With Ai, Mali Is Trying to Sideline the French Language

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Bambara, fulfulde, tamashek: these are just a few of the thirteen official languages of the West African country of Mali. Until recently, French, the language of the former colonizer, was also among them. But with the introduction of a new constitution in 2023, that came to an end. Yet, French remains omnipresent: in politics, in business, and even in education. Although Malian languages are primarily spoken at home, children still learn to read…