Why did French become a working language rather than an official language in Mali?

In 2023, the status of French in Mali was officially changed from an official language to a working language.12

This shift occurred as part of a broader legislative move to elevate 13 of the country’s national languages—including Bambara, Fula, Dogon, and Songhai—to the status of official languages. While French had served as the official language since the colonial era, it is spoken by only a small segment of the Malian population. By reclassifying French, the government prioritized the recognition of indigenous languages that are more widely spoken and culturally representative of the nation's diverse linguistic landscape.13