This work is the result of a six-month investigation funded by the Ministry of Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the Minister, Ms. Anke Brunn. The topic 'Standardization of International African Lingua Francas' was formulated by Prof. Dr. Bernd Heine, who was the first to conduct comprehensive scientific research on African lingua francas and can thus be considered one of the founders of African sociolinguistics. His sociolinguistic works form a foundational basis for this investigation. Although this work is designed as a literature review, insights from my own earlier field research, particularly in Zaire and the Central African Republic, have been incorporated to a limited extent.