West African nations Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are ruled bythe military, have withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, an organisation of French-speaking states.

The juntas, which have cut ties with France, their former colonial ruler, said the organisation no longer supports their national aspirations.

Since coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the OIF, as the organization is known by its French initials, has not aided “these countries in realizing the legitimate aspirations of their peoples,” the foreign ministries of the three nations said in a joint statement. The organization is “becoming a guided political instrument”.

Based in Paris, the OIF promotes the French language as well as political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among its 93member states.