The XXth Games of La Francophonie are scheduled from July 28 to August 6, 2023 in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Prime Minister, Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, presented the evolution and preparations for this Francophone event during a meeting on Friday June 9th. Operations related to the organization and development of sports sites and infrastructure are in the decisive phase. Arrangements for the accommodation of athletes, catering, security, transport and health are made.
The DRC will host the best young French-speaking artists and sports talents during the IX Games of La Francophonie, after Rabat and Casablanca (Morocco, 1989), Paris (France, 1994), Antananarivo (Madagascar, 1997), Ottawa and Hull (Canada, Canada -Quebec, 2001), Niamey (Niger, 2005), Beirut (Lebanon, 2009), Nice (France, 2013) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast, 2017). This quadrennial competition combines sporting events and cultural competitions, open to 18-35 year olds, to promote the talents of French-speaking youth.
The previous edition was held in Côte d’Ivoire in 2017, bringing together nearly 3,500 participants including 2,500 young athletes and artists from 53 countries in ten days. The Games of La Francophonie were awarded to the DRC during the 108th session of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, on July 2, 2019. Initially scheduled for 2021, they were postponed twice, firstly from August 21 to 28, 2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic, before this second chance.
Taking into account the health and political context in which the country is evolving, the government, through the steering committee and the National Games Directorate, is working to maintain the momentum in order to achieve the objectives assigned to them. The Games of La Francophonie will provide an opportunity to celebrate Francophone cultures, promote youth and draw the world’s attention to the DRC