the end of francophonie?

why north and west africa are turning to english... and away from france

Essaouira, Morocco — In 2023, in a hostel over mint tea and cigarettes, a group of young men told me they refused to speak French. “It’s colonial,” one shrugged. “And useless.” They preferred English, the language of YouTube, job applications, and escape.

What seemed like youthful defiance is now national policy, not only in Morocco, but also across its eastern border. Earlier this month, Algeria announced that English will replace French as the language of instruction in science and medicine courses at its universities, starting in September 2025. It’s part of a broader shift: a linguistic reorientation away from its former colonizer.

Students walk through the gates of Algiers University. Starting in 2025, Algerian universities will begin teaching science and medicine in English, a landmark shift away from French as the dominant academic language.

Although officially framed as educational reform, the move is widely understood to be political. The announcement came just days before a spike in diplomatic tensions with France. That rupture began when France endorsed Morocco’s claims over Western Sahara in 2024, prompting Algeria to withdraw its ambassador. Then, just weeks after the language directive, French authorities arrested an Algerian consular employee in Paris, alleging involvement in the kidnapping of an anti-regime influencer. Algeria expelled 12 French diplomats; France responded in kind and recalled its ambassador. Now, Algeria is undertaking a deeper shift: dismantling one of France’s most persistent instruments of influence, the French language.

President Emmanuel Macron of France meets with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria in Algiers, 2022. The two leaders have faced persistent tensions over colonial history, regional policy, and the role of the French language.