The Black African Students Federation in France (french: Fédération des étudiants d'Afrique noire en France, abbreviated FEANF) was an organization of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n students in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. FEANF was influenced by the
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...
, and saw the struggle against French
colonialism
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
in Africa as part of a wider struggle against Western
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
.Schmidt, Elizabeth. Cold War and Decolonization in Guinea, 1946-1958 '. Western African studies. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. p. 127 FEANF played an important role for the formation of communist organizations in Francophone Africa. In addition, FEANF largely contributed to creating a
centralized voice that united all African student groups in France, while their
actions highlighted the greater disparities within the French colonial system.
Founding
FEANF was founded in 1950, when a preliminary congress was held in April 1950 in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
, followed by a meeting in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
in December 1950. The Bordeaux meeting was attended by cells of African students from
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
,
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
and Bordeaux. The Paris group, led by
Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow
Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, GCIH (born 20 March 1921) is a Senegalese retired civil servant and former Director-General of UNESCO. Born in Dakar, M'bow served in France and North Africa during World War II after volunteering for the French Army, also s ...
and Louis Atayi, dominated the debates. The Bordeaux meeting adopted the FEANF statues, which called for the unification of all African student associations in France. Among its first goals was to “defend the material
and moral interests of the students.” The statues also stated that FEANF was independent of any political party. The Lyon cell soon affiliated itself to the organization soon afterwards.Diané, Charles. Les grandes heures de la FEANF '. Paris: Ed. Chaka, 1990. pp. 41-42
First and Second Congresses
The first federal congress of FEANF was held March 21–22, 1951 in Paris. The congress elected an Executive Committee, which included Solange Faladé (medical student from
Dahomey
The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
, also the Secretary of the RDA Students Association) as Joint General Secretary and
Abdou Moumouni
Jafar Djabouro Moumouni (born 19 November 1982) is a Togolese former footballer who played for F.C. Aboomoslem in the Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western ...
(from
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesDiané, Charles. Les grandes heures de la FEANF '. Paris: Ed. Chaka, 1990. pp. 42-43
Politically, the first FEANF Executive Committee was rapidly seen as very 'moderate'. Its President tried to mobilize a separate structure, GAREP, but failed to gather any sizeable number of followers from the founding core of FEANF. Compared to FEANF, GAREP was reluctant to have contacts with pro-
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
structures.
The second FEANF congress was held April 14–15, 1952. At the second congress, the leadership was taken over by members of the African Democratic Rally (RDA). The organization declared its support for African independence. There was also a notable Senegalese dominance over the new Executive Committee. The medical student Edouard Sankhalé became the new FEANF Chairman. Mamadou Samb became Vice Chairman. Both Sankhalé and Samb were also in the RDA Students Association leadership. Alioune Bâ (law student, later a prominent member of the
African Independence Party African Independence Party (in French: ''Parti Africain de l'Indépendance'') was a communist party in French West Africa (AOF). PAI was founded in Thiès, Senegal in 1957. Later as AOF was dissolved into independent countries the local PAI sectio ...
, PAI) became General Secretary, Youssoupha Sylla (medical student, activist of the RDA Students Association) First Joint Secretary, Babacar Niang (science student, head of the publication ''La voix de l'Afrique Noire'') whilst Abdou Moumouni retained the position as Treasurer. Except for Moumouni, all of these men were Senegalese. After the change in leadership, FEANF began to have contacts with the
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
-based
International Union of Students
The International Union of Students (IUS) was a worldwide nonpartisan association of university student organizations.
The IUS was the umbrella organization for 155 such students' organizations across 112 countries and Territory (administrative ...
.Diané, Charles. Les grandes heures de la FEANF '. Paris: Ed. Chaka, 1990. p. 44 Eventually, FEANF became an affiliate of IUS.
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
. FEANF and UGEAO worked closely. Both were oriented towards
Marxism
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
, and opposed the more moderate line adopted by RDA.
In 1956, under the leadership of the Guinean medical student Charles Diané, FEANF adopted a more radical line towards demanding independence. The organization opposed the '' loi Cadre'', which it considered as a move to
Balkanize
Balkanization is the fragmentation of a larger region or state into smaller regions or states, which may be hostile or uncooperative with one another. It is usually caused by differences of ethnicity, culture, and religion and some other factor ...
Africa. FEANF preferred that rather than creating many separate African states, a federation be created in
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
. Gradually FEANF became more vocal in its criticism against the increasingly collaborationist positions of RDA, in spite of the fact that many FEANF leaders had been members of RDA. In May 1958 the FEANF organ ''L'Étudiant d'Afrique noire'' expressed sharp criticism against RDA leader Sékou Touré for not having publicly called for a 'No'-vote (i.e. a vote for independence) in the upcoming
constitutional referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
. In June the FEANF leadership decided that the organization would campaign for the 'No'. During the summer vacation, many FEANF cadres travelled to Africa and took part in pro-independence mobilizations there. In August 1958 FEANF took part in forming a
united front
A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts and/or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political a ...
for campaigning for independence, together with UGEAO, UGTAN, RDA Students Association, RJDA and the African Youth Council.Schmidt, Elizabeth. Cold War and Decolonization in Guinea, 1946-1958 '. Western African studies. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007. p. 143
The rift between RDA and FEANF brought FEANF closer to the main rival of RDA, the
African Regroupment Party
The African Regroupment Party (french: Parti du Regroupement Africain, PRA) was a political party in the French African colonies.
Formation
The PRA came into being at a meeting in Paris on March 26, 1958, months before the French Community would ...
.
Among their many initiatives, they strove to improve the standard of living for African students. The grants students received to study in France did not include provisions for housing. Thus, many students struggled to find housing, especially because many landlords were unwilling to rent to Africans. The efforts of the FEANF, along with the government of Dakar and the Ministry of Overseas France, a hotel was purchased specifically for students from French West Africa. In 1951, the Maison de la France d’Outre Mer was completed in Paris. Along with housing, FEANF leaders fought for improved conditions within housing. Many African students could not afford heating and suffered from malnutrition. As a result, a large number succumbed to tuberculosis or venereal diseases.
French Administration Response
The French became gradually became suspicious of the
organization due to its connections with African nationalist and communist
groups. The colonial administration developed a system of surveillance to
monitor FEANF activities while keeping positive political relations with the
group because they represented most African students in France. They sought to
maintain the favor of the leaders primarily through the allocation of funding.
French administrators granted financial aid to the FEANF for projects
concerning housing for colonial students and “cultural care” programs. These programs
provided funding for cultural organizations that focused on African arts and
culture; for example, approving a folklore troop’s request to receive drums
from
Dahomey
The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...
.
Underscoring the French administrators’ actions was
a fundamental misunderstanding between themselves and the FEANF. The French
believed that student issues stemmed from psychological problems they
encountered due to their in-between status as African elites in a French environment.
By providing funding, administrators worked to make students feel at home while
remedying the culture shock that could affect student performance in academics
and lead to physical sickness. However, as the FEANF sought to expose, their
problems stemmed from the discrepancies and consequences of the colonial
system. France touted that through Western education, they were guiding the
next generation of African leaders. However, these students often left France
disillusioned and disenchanted by their poor treatment and the inferior status
accorded to them. Even though the French took steps to address the tangible
issues affecting African students, they failed to take into account that their
colonial system as a whole had put these students in this position in the first
place.
National Sections
FEANF included various territorial/national affiliates. Many of them were French sections of students organization based in the respective territories/countries. As of 1957-1958, the following organizations were affiliated to FEANF;
*
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
: Kamerunese National Students Union (UNEK)
*
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
: Chadian Students Association (AET)
*
Congo
Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa:
* Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...
: Congolese Students Association (AEC)
*
Dahomey
The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a region ...
Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...
)
*
French Soudan
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
: Soudanese Students Association in France (AESF, a section of Soudanese Scholar Union based in
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...
)
*
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
: Gabonese Students Association (AEG)
*
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
Conakry
Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...
)
*
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
Abidjan
Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...
)
*
Mauritania
Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...
: Association of Students of Mauritania in France (AEMF)
*
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesOubangui-Chari
Ubangi-Shari (french: Oubangui-Chari) was a French colony in central Africa, a part of French Equatorial Africa.
It was named after the Ubangi and Chari rivers along which it was colonised. It was established on 29 December 1903, from the ...
: Senegalese Students Association in France (AESF)
*
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
: Togolese Students Association (AET, more commonly known as ''Jeune Togo'')
* Upper Volta: Association of Students of Upper Volta in France (AEVF)
Later phase
In 1966 another student movement, MEOCAM, was launched with the objective to compete with FEANF over the influence in the African students community in France. MEOCAM failed to make any lasting impact, though, as it was torn apart by internal conflicts.Bianchini, Pascal. Ecole et politique en Afrique noire: sociologie des crises et des réformes du système d'enseignement au Sénégal et au Burkina Faso (1960-2000) '. Paris: Karthala, 2004. p. 123
In its later phase of existence, FEANF suffered from internal divisions and defections. In 1972 there was a dispute between the Dahomeyan and Cameronian students. In 1975 the Central African students disaffiliated from FEANF, followed by the Gabonese in 1977.Diané, Charles. Les grandes heures de la FEANF '. Paris: Ed. Chaka, 1990. p. 20
In 1980 the organization was 'dissolved' by the French authorities. This move followed the disbanding of the AED (Dahomey) in 1979 and the closure of the UNEECI in earlier in 1980.