Games of La Francophonie: the secretary general of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, absent in Kinshasa
The Francophonie Games, a major event that brings together French-speaking countries from around the world, will soon take place in Kinshasa. However, a notable absence will be talked about: that of the Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo.
This absence is not insignificant. Indeed, relations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, Louise Mushikiwabo’s country of origin, are strained. The DRC indeed accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebellion which has occupied part of its territory since the previous year.
Initially, it was announced that Louise Mushikiwabo would be present at the opening ceremony of the Games, as co-organizer of the event. However, his spokeswoman recently denied this information. She explained that the DRC never sent a formal invitation to Louise Mushikiwabo, which prompted the secretary general to reconsider her trip to Kinshasa.
Despite this absence, the Secretary General of the OIF hopes that the Games will take place in the best conditions. She will therefore be represented by the administrator of the organization, Caroline St-Hilaire.
The Francophone Games are a unique opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and the influence of the Francophonie through sport, culture and youth. They allow young French-speaking talents to express themselves and compete in different disciplines. This edition in Kinshasa would have been an opportunity to highlight the cultural and sporting richness of the DRC, unfortunately tainted by the tense political context.
Despite this notable absence, we hope that the Games of La Francophonie in Kinshasa will be a success and will help to strengthen ties between French-speaking countries