This is a specialized institution of the African Union (AU) established in January 2006. ACALAN originated from the transformation of the Mission for the African Academy of Languages (MACALAN), which was created by a Presidential Decree in Mali in 2000. The headquarters of ACALAN are located in Bamako, Mali.
ACALAN aims to promote African languages and their use in education, strengthen cooperation among African states, and support cross-border language initiatives.
On December 19, 2000, the President of the Republic of Mali at the time, His Excellency Alpha Oumar KONARE, established the Mission for the African Academy of Languages (MACALAN) through Presidential Decree N°00-630/PRM.
The Mission was transformed into the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN) in January 2006, when its statutes were approved by the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the African Union, designating it as a specialized institution of the African Union.
ACALAN has been given the responsibility of developing and promoting African languages so that they can be utilized in all aspects of society, alongside the languages inherited from colonization: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
