Republic of Cabinda Republic of Cabinda The Republic of Cabinda (Ibinda: "Kilansi kia cabinda"; ) was an unrecognized state in southern Africa. The Front for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Exercito de Cabinda (FLEC) claims sovereignty from Angola and proclaimed the Republic of Cabinda as an independent country in 1975. The government of this (internationally not recognized) entity operates in exile, with offices located in Paris, France and Pointe Noire, Congo-Brazzaville. The 1885 Treaty of Simulambuco designated Cabinda a Portuguese protectorate known as the Portuguese Congo, which was administratively separate from Portuguese West Africa (Angola). In the 20th century, Portugal decided to
West Africa various ethnic groups. For historical reasons, Western European languages such as French, English and Portuguese predominate in Southern and Coastal subregions, whilst Arabic spreads inland northwards. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), founded by the 1975 Treaty of Lagos, is an organization of West African states which aims to promote the region's economy. The West African Monetary Union (or UEMOA from its name in French, "Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine") is limited to the eight, mostly Francophone countries that employ the CFA franc as their common currency. The Liptako-Gourma Authority of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso seeks to