>You miss the point though that they can simply leave the CFA and have all that control

No, you deliberately ignore the part where France bribes and incentives the top leadership to do what isn't best for the country. First world nations bribing and corrupting third world nations is par for the course and it's deeply disingenuous to suggest that doesn't happen - France has means, motive, and opportunities in buckets.

And you also ignore the other times they absolutely wrecked the country that tried to leave. They made a example out of it - and we only have to look at the Middle East and Eastern Europe to see that nothing has changed: countries can and do forcibly use hard power to get their way.