AH Challenge: Surviving Mali Federation

Wolfpaw

Banned
On April 4, 1959, France established the Mali Federation, a union between what are now Senegal and Mali.

The Federation collapsed on August 20 of 1960 when Senegal withdrew due to political disagreements.

Bonus points if you can get it to survive most of the Cold War, super bonus if it survives post-Cold War.

And if you need more incentives, just look at the adorable flag that the world will get out of it :)




 

GTAmario

Banned
Wow, the flag is actually real. Then again it looks like a man surrendering (no surprise given the French and the way the union turned out)
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
What were these "political disagreements"?
Here's some stuff I found that pretty well describes why the Federation failed:
External efforts to undermine the federation: The French sided with the autonomists, under the assumption that any attempt to group Africans was a prelude to political succession. Félix Houphouet-Boigny offered support to autonomist forces in the Soudan, while Guinea's Sékou Touré assisted rebels in the Casamance. Most vexing was the question of relations with France, which were made even more sensitive by the resumption of violence in Algeria. Senghor supported France while Keita was opposed, and in the end, Dia sided with Senghor.

In addition, the Sengalese and Soudanese disagreed on how to distribute revenues in the Mali Federation. The Soudanese, who were less numerous, represented a disproportionate part of the civil service from the days of the GGAOF. The Senegalese saw this as a transfer of taxes from the productive coastal region to the poorer and less populated interior. On the other hand, the Soudanese condemned the Senegalese for corruption and lethargy with respect to the struggle for independence.

In the end, the different priorities of interior and coastal states doomed the Mali Federation. On September 20, 1960, the Senegalese expelled the Soudanese leaders and workers, including more than a thousand railway workers and their families, when the Soudanese refused to accept Senghor as president of the Federation of Mali.

 
Top