(Ottawa) And two. After Catherine Cano, it is Geoffroi Montpetit’s turn to leave the ship of Francophonie in nebulous circumstances.
Posted at 5:00 am
The contract of the one who has been number two within the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF) since March 2021 has not been renewed, according to information from La Presse.
The position of Administrator of the OIF is reserved for Canada for the duration of Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo’s mandate, which was extended for a further four years at last November’s summit in Djerba, Tunisia.
Canada had agreed in 2018 to ditch Michaëlle Jean and join the French-backed Rwandans in exchange for that guarantee as well as supporting the OIF in its bid – which ended in failure – for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
PHOTO FROM CATHERINE CANO’S TWITTER ACCOUNT
Catherine Cano, former Administrator of the OIF
In 2019, Catherine Cano, a former media executive, was appointed director. About a year and a half later, she suddenly resigned, causing a stir in diplomatic circles in Quebec and Canada1.
If the exact reasons for the departure of his successor could not be found out – Ottawa has not officially confirmed anything either – the secretary-general is referred to behind the scenes.
“This is the second time after Ms. Cano. The question is whether the problem is really the manager or the manager,” says a source familiar with the matter, who has granted anonymity to La Presse, although the latter was not authorized to speak publicly.
Mushikiwabo style
It’s not the first time we’ve heard comments like this.
In an article published in April 2021, the daily newspaper Liberation said that under the Secretary-General’s leadership there was “a noxious climate”. Following Catherine Cano’s resignation in Ottawa, we were pleased to see such criticism circulating.
” The item […] is interesting because it ends with a questioning of the leadership style of Louise Mushikiwabo,” stated an official in documents obtained by La Presse in the spring of 2022.
The OIF has self-imposed a major overhaul of its governance practices. Upon taking over the reins, Rwanda’s former foreign minister pledged to clean up the practices of the institution, which is made up of 88 states and governments.
According to Libération, however, the cleanup was done differently: “Almost all directors have been replaced, around twenty employees have been bluntly fired and several executives have resigned,” the French newspaper wrote.
The Office of the Minister for International Relations and La Francophonie of Quebec, Martine Biron, did not want to speculate on the reasons for which Mr. Montpetit was thanked.
“We do not know the circumstances of his departure, but we understand that his mandate will not be renewed and this is a file that we will follow closely,” we said Tuesday.
The presidency would remain with a Canadian
The OIF did not answer questions about the professional future of Geoffroi Montpetit, former chief of staff at the Federal Ministry for International Development, nor did the headmaster concerned. He would be leaving Paris, where the OIF headquarters are located, in a few weeks.
“It will take someone who knows the OIF well to navigate this organization until the reforms are completed,” confided the source, who spoke to La Presse, who expects the position to remain with a Canadian.
The Canadian government’s contribution to the institutions of Francophonie was approximately US$43 million in 2021-2022. Like Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada is a member of the OIF.