Heather Alexander Community, a type of federation, but retaining a single nationality.25 French Soudan joined the Community as part of a federation with Senegal. Meanwhile, some Tuareg leaders were demanding political independence26 or to be included with Algeria.27 In the end, these attempts at federation, community and northern independence would all fail, and French Soudan became independent in 1960, first as the Federation of Mali (with Senegal), and later the same year as the Republic of Mali. 2.2 Transition to independence French Sudan declared its independence in 1960 as the Fédération du Mali,28 and shortly after became the République du Mali.29 Modibo Keïta was elected the first president on a socialist platform. As expert Ruth Donner notes, nationality was not transferred by treaty provisions and thus followed the transitional laws enacted by Mali and general principles of law.30 In this context, Mali’s new government enacted transitional provisions in order to establish Mali’s nationals.31 As an initial measure, a transitional law attributed Malian nationality to all ressortissants (a term usually used as a synonym for ‘national’) of Mali, subject to the provisions of the future nationality code, unless they had affirmatively opted for the French Civil Code.32 As well, certain classes of persons who had been granted full French citizenship under various colonial-era laws and the 1946 Constitution of the Union Française were now Malian nationals unless they refused. The law also allowed the government to grant Malian nationality on an individual basis to persons who had resided in Mali for at least two years. 25 Keith Panter-Brick, ‘Independence, French Style’ in Gifford and Louis, Decolonisation and African Independence (Yale 1988). ``The 1958 Constitution stated that there was only one nationality of the Community. According to most French jurists, the colonies did not have their own nationality, only French nationality.’ Cooper 349. 26 Since 1951, the French had considered creating a new colony, Afrique Saharienne français, which would have included what is now Mali. Later, many Tuareg leaders would advocate for the creation of the Organisation Commune des Régions Sahariennes (OCRS), which eventually became an economic organisation, which Mali left in1963. Baz Lecocq, That Desert is Our Country: Tuareg Rebellions and Competing Nationalisms in Contemporary Mali (1946-1996) (PhD thesis, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) 2002) 41 and sub. 27 Marnham 6. 28 Loi n. 60-14 du 20 juin 1960 ‘proclamant solennellement l’indépendance nationale de la fédération du Mali’ Journal Officiel de la Fédération du Mali, 22 juin 1960 p. 383. 29 Loi n. 60-35 du 22 septembre 1960 « portant proclamation de la République indépendante du Mali » J. O. R. M. 15 Décembre 1960. 30 R. Donner, The Regulation of Nationality in International Law, Second Edition (Transnational Pub. 1994) 281. 31 Ordonnance n. 55 du 24 novembre 1960 « relative à l'attribution de la nationalité malienne à tous les ressortissants de la République du Mali » Journal Officiel de la République du Mali (J.O.R.M.) 15 Décembre 1960 p. 986. Decheix 302. 32 Ordonnance n. 55 du 24 novembre 1960 « relative à l'attribution de la nationalité malienne à tous les ressortissants de la République du Mali » Journal Officiel de la République du Mali (J.O.R.M.) 15 Décembre 1960 p. 986. Alexandre Zatzepine, « Droit de la nationalité des Républiques Francophones d'Afrique et de Madagascar » (Paris 1963) ; Paul Decheix, « Le Code de la nationalité Malienne » 697 Penant 300 (1963). Provisions in French law for retaining French nationality may be found in Loi n. 60-752 du 28 juillet 1960 portant modification de certaines dispositions du code de la nationalité. RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/11 - © 2020 Author(s) 5