President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame will be joining several world leaders in Djerba, Tunisia for the 18th La Francophonie summit that is scheduled to kick off on Saturday. They arrived in Djerba on Friday. The summit, usually held once every two years, was initially scheduled to be hosted in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It brings together 54 member states, seven associated countries, and 27 with observer status from around the world. Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo has been the Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie since 2018 when she won the elections to lead the bloc. The theme of this year’s summit is “Connectivity in diversity – the digital vector of development and solidarity in the French-speaking world.” According to media reports, Tunisian President Kais Saied opted to hold the summit in Djerba, a UNESCO world heritage candidate city that is home to Tunisia’s annual El Ghriba festival, rather than the capital Tunis to drive home his decentralization plans and development agenda. Some of the leaders that have already confirmed attendance include French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan among many others. La Francophonie’s mission includes: promoting the French language and cultural and linguistic diversity; promoting peace, democracy, and human rights; supporting education, training, higher education, and research; and fostering economic cooperation to bolster sustainable development. Rwanda has been an active member of La Francophonie. In July, the bloc awarded President Kagame with the Ordre de La Pléiade by the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF). Rwanda first held the group’s parliamentary section in 2012.
