Kateb Yacine on Francophony

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Kateb Yacine wrote in 1966 that:

“Francophony is a neocolonial political machine, which only perpetuates our alienation, but the usage of French language does not mean that one is an agent of a foreign power, and I write in French to tell the French that I am not French”.

I have to disagree with him on the usage of foreign language though, I’d say instead: “the usage of French/English language doesn’t necessarily mean that one is an agent of foreign power, but might be a product of one. Still I think his reference to language here to affirm his locality is amazing.