[1] FEANF played an important role for the formation of communist organizations in Francophone Africa.
[2] In addition, FEANF largely contributed to creating a centralized voice that united all African student groups in France, while their actions highlighted the greater disparities within the French colonial system.
The Bordeaux meeting adopted the FEANF statues, which called for the unification of all African student associations in France.
Among its first goals was to “defend the material and moral interests of the students.”[3] The statues also stated that FEANF was independent of any political party.
Its President tried to mobilize a separate structure, GAREP, but failed to gather any sizeable number of followers from the founding core of FEANF.
After the change in leadership, FEANF began to have contacts with the Prague-based International Union of Students.
[1] In 1956, under the leadership of the Guinean medical student Charles Diané, FEANF adopted a more radical line towards demanding independence.
In August 1958 FEANF took part in forming a united front for campaigning for independence, together with UGEAO, UGTAN, RDA Students Association, RJDA and the African Youth Council.
The efforts of the FEANF, along with the government of Dakar and the Ministry of Overseas France, a hotel was purchased specifically for students from French West Africa.
[3] The French became gradually became suspicious of the organization due to its connections with African nationalist and communist groups.
The colonial administration developed a system of surveillance to monitor FEANF activities while keeping positive political relations with the group because they represented most African students in France.
French administrators granted financial aid to the FEANF for projects concerning housing for colonial students and “cultural care” programs.
However, these students often left France disillusioned and disenchanted by their poor treatment and the inferior status accorded to them.