West African opinion divided over CFA franc reform

Plans to overhaul the CFA franc, a France-backed currency used by former colonies in West Africa, have drawn reactions raising from scepticism to cautious optimism.Introduced in 1945 during colonial times, the CFA is linked to the euro under an arrangement that requires African members to lodge half their reserves in the Bank of France.The deal provides currency stability -- and a dampener on inflation -- for the eight countries in the West African Monetary Union (WAMU).