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Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the OIF, in Paris, November 9, 2022. JOEL SAGET / AFP
Louise Mushikiwabo, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda (2009–2018), was elected in 2018 and is running for a second term at the head of the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF), which is holding its 18th summit on Saturday 19th and Sunday , November 20 in Djerba, Tunisia. She is the only candidate to succeed him.
Isn’t the OIF sending the wrong signal to the international community and its members by organizing its summit in Tunisia, a country whose President Kaïs Saïed has been accused of authoritarian drift?
For me, the most important thing is what comes from the Tunisians themselves. If the whole country had rebelled against President Kaïs Saïed’s proposals, we would not have held this summit in Tunisia. But it seems to me that the majority of Tunisians today say to themselves: ‘Okay, we’ll try this system and we’ll see. The OIF process of organizing a summit in a country is not about checking that all the democratic elements are in place. And besides, everyone understands that democracy is not doing well in the world today.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers “We see no change”: In Tunisia, the end of the grace period for President Kaïs Saïed?
Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, three countries that have seen recent coups, were not invited by the OIF. However, the political changes they have witnessed have sometimes been welcomed by the populace, especially the youth. Why ?
They will not participate because, in our organization’s view, any unconstitutional change requires a country suspension. But isn’t this suspension a sanction addressed to the wrong person? That’s a question I ask myself. It is a form of injustice to punish people for mistakes made by politicians.
War in Ukraine, inflation, climate change… This summit takes place in a troubled global context. What do you expect?
“We saw it during the health crisis, states are no longer able to solve all their problems on their own.”
The purpose of this summit is not to solve the world’s problems, but to become more involved in the global problems affecting our countries. In my conversations with world leaders, I explain why our organization is relevant and how, together with other multilateral partners, it could contribute to meaningful change. States are no longer able to solve all their problems on their own. We saw it during the health crisis.
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