Even before the Europeans reached the continent, much of West Africa’s history followed the European paradigm, with successive empires sweeping over the land. France in that sense was just the latest conqueror when they began the colonization with Mali in the opening years of the 19th century. In control of virtually all of West Africa by the end of the century, France consolidated a lage middle portion into what they called the French Sudan. The region stayed under French control until well after WW II.

On this day, November 25, in 1958 the French Sudan joined the French commonwealth of nations as the Sudanese Republic.

The newly hatched republic joined with Senegal to form the Mali Federation, becoming a self-governing federation by 1960. That same year, Senegal seceded from the federation, leaving the French Sudan, alone once more, to reform Republic of Mali, out of the French community.