**New Era in Bamako: Winds of Change Blowing on Street and Monument Names**
The Malian junta has recently implemented a series of significant changes across the capital, marking a major turning point in the country’s history. Following the announcement of the junta leader’s decree, streets and monuments that once had colonial or Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) connotations underwent a radical metamorphosis.
This transformation movement was concretized during an official ceremony in Bamako, highlighting the change of names of emblematic places. The former Africa-France Summit Square was renamed Place de la Confédération des Etats du Sahel, in reference to the newly formed alliance between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, all three countries having recently fallen under military regimes resulting from coups d’état.
This act of sovereignty, initiated by General Abdoulaye Maïga, Prime Minister of Mali, demonstrates a strong desire to break with the old in favor of a new regional dynamic. The famous Avenue of ECOWAS has given way to the Avenue of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), thus underlining Mali’s adherence to this new entity.
At the same time, symbols of the French colonial administration have been relegated to the background, giving way to the emergence of illustrious Malian figures. Rue Louis Faidherbe and Rue Archinard, previously dedicated to these former representatives of colonial power, have been reimagined to highlight the national heritage and its historical wealth.
This wave of changes has spread across the capital, affecting nearly twenty-five emblematic places that have been renamed to reflect the evolution and aspirations of the Malian people.
Beyond the symbolism attached to these new names, this reform is part of a profound process of reaffirming identity and building a new national narrative. By reinventing urban space and honoring its own heroes, Mali is charting a new path towards a future marked by pride and independence.
This recent upheaval raises fundamental questions about identity and collective memory, inviting everyone to reflect on the meaning of these changes and their long-term impact on Malian society. A page is turning, a new page is opening, heralding an era of renewal and reinvention for a Mali resolutely turned towards the future.