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Daniel Mumbere
Rwanda’s foreign
affairs minister, has been confirmed as the head of the world community of
French-speaking countries.
The appointment sealed
on the second day of the summit of the International Organisation of La
Francophonie (OIF)
in Armenia, will be regarded as a win for Rwanda, France and the African
continent.
In
July, African francophone countries officially rallied behind Mushikiwabo, a
position consistent with their policy of backing an African candidate
sensitive to the needs of states that comprise more than half of the OIF membership. Louise
Mushikiwabo, a reliable diplomat. Louise
Mushikiwabo, a multilingual speaker of French, English and Kinyarwanda,
became Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 2009, just days
after the resumption of diplomatic relations with France. The 57-year old is
widely perceived to be a competent diplomat, who has worked tirelessly with
president Paul Kagame to make Rwanda a major player on the global stage.
Mushikiwabo, who is not a member of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF)
party, says she is proud to have played a role in opening her country to the
world, and specifically working towards Rwanda’s return to its “heritage of
French-speaking Central Africa”. “Since becoming Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Rwanda has achieved a lot on the international scene, has a better
international status,” says Frank Habineza, leader of the Green Democratic
Party, the only authorized opposition party in Rwanda. Mushikiwabo was head
of communication at the African Development Bank in Tunis before Kagame
asked her to join his government in March 2008 as Minister of Information. MICHAELLE JEAN, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF LA FRANCOPHONIE L'EX-GOUVERNEURE GENERALE DU CANADA CANDIDATE A LA TETE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE Ottawa, 13 juin 2014 (AFP) - 13.06.2014 20:50 L'ancienne Gouverneure générale du Canada Michaëlle Jean est officiellement candidate à la succession d'Abdou Diouf à la tête de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a annoncé le gouvernement canadien à l'AFP vendredi. Ancienne journaliste née en Haïti, Mme Jean "représente une Francophonie moderne, multiculturelle et ouverte sur le monde", a fait valoir dans un courriel la porte-parole du ministre canadien du Développement international et de la Francophonie, Christian Paradis. Cette candidature au poste de Secrétaire général de la Francophonie est également appuyée par les provinces du Québec et du Nouveau-Brunswick, dont les gouvernements siègent à l'OIF, a noté Ottawa. Agée de 56 ans, Mme Jean était journaliste à la télévision publique Radio-Canada avant d'occuper le titre honorifique de Gouverneure générale du Canada (représentante de la reine Elizabeth II, chef d'État en titre) entre 2005 à 2010. Née à Port-au-Prince, elle est devenue Envoyée spéciale de l'Unesco en Haïti à la fin de l'année 2010. Elle a depuis régulièrement dénoncé la lenteur des travaux de reconstruction post-séisme de son pays, qu'elle a quitté à l'âge de 11 ans avec sa famille, fuyant la dictature de François Duvalier. "Elle détient une solide expérience dans les affaires internationales, le développement et la gestion de grands enjeux mondiaux", a remarqué le gouvernement canadien. Ottawa a par ailleurs loué "l'important héritage" laissé par l'ancien président sénégalais Abdou Diouf qui quittera ses fonctions en novembre prochain, lors du sommet de l'OIF organisé à Dakar. "Le Canada est fier que la Francophonie ait pu, sous l'égide du Secrétaire général Diouf, devenir une organisation multilatérale, moderne, efficace et pertinente dans le cadre de la gouvernance mondiale", souligne la porte-parole du ministre Paradis. Cette candidature souffre toutefois d'un lourd handicap, relève une source diplomatique européenne: le numéro deux de l'OIF, Clément Duhaime, est lui-même Québécois et une sur-représentation canadienne à la tête de l'organisation internationale paraît inconcevable. Mme Jean est la deuxième candidate déclarée: Jean-Claude de l'Estrac, ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères de l'île Maurice, s'est lancé dans la course le mois dernier. Basée à Paris, l'OIF compte une soixantaine de membres, dont trois associés (Qatar, Ghana et Chypre) et 20 observateurs. © 2014 AFP
La Francophonie. Created
in 1970 along lines blazed by the Commonwealth, the OIF brings
together 58 countries and regional governments, representing 274 million
speakers of French around the world. Mushikiwabo becomes the third African
to take on the leadership of the Francophonie, following in the footsteps of
Senegalese Abdou Diouf and the Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
Former governor general Michaëlle Jean has been chosen as secretary-general of la FrancophonieJean was chosen by consensus at the summit of French-speaking nations in Dakar, Senegal. She becomes the first woman to hold the position.The organization has 57 members or associate members, while another 20 jurisdictions have observer status."I am very excited to work with all these women and all these men who make and live the Francophonie daily," Jean said in a written statement following the announcement.Michaëlle Jean: A life of 'many possibilities'
Jean also emphasized the important role of youth and women, and stressed the need to promote the use of the French language and strengthen economic action in the Francophone world.The CBC's Rosemary Barton said Jean's appointment gives Canada and the Conservative government a much stronger level of influence internationally."It allows the prime minister, for instance, to continue to push his agenda of maternal and child health in a different organization within the very countries that he's been targeting," Barton said."And it also improves, let's be frank, our reputation internationally as well to have a Canadian head up an organization like this one. So certainly a coup for Jean today, but also a coup for the prime minister who backed this bid and for the country as a whole."Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who attended the summit who attended the summit with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard and New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, said in a statement that Jean was the ideal person for the job."She will embody the renewal and modernity that la Francophonie of the 21st century needs, and will listen to heads of state and government and their citizens," he said.Laureen Harper, the prime minister's wife, tweeted, "Congratulations to my friend."Gov. Gen. David Johnston also issued a statement."We are confident that she will fervently and passionately defend not only the French language and culture, but also respect for the shared values of peace, democracy and human rights that have solidified the belonging of each nation in la Francophonie," he said.Jean lobbied hard for positionIf the organization's members had any reticence about Jean, Barton said, it's because she's not from Africa."Most of the member of la Francophonie are African Nations and there was some concern whether a North American could well represent the needs of Africa," Barton said."But remember that Canada is the second biggest donor to la Francophonie and Jean has a background so well-known and she did a lot of work to try to win this. She lobbied countries very, very hard and travelled around to try to get them onside."Jean's mandate will last four years. She was one of five candidates seeking to replace Abdou Diouf, who stepped down after more than 10 years on the job.Jean, 57, was governor general between 2005 and 2010. She was born in Port-au-Prince on Sept. 6, 1957, during the era of the Duvalier dictatorships in Haiti. Her family moved to Thetford Mines, Que., in 1968.The former Radio-Canada reporter has worked recently in Haiti as a special envoy for UNESCO and has been the chancellor of the University of Ottawa since 2012.
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