After four years of doubts about its organization, the 18th Francophonie Summit opens in Tunisia

Published on : 18/11/2022 – 07:06

D-1 before the kick-off of the 18th Francophonie Summit. The event, which is being held on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November, in Djerba in Tunisia, will bring together the heads of state and government of the member countries of the OIF, the International Organization of La Francophonie. It will mark, among other things, the beginning of the Tunisian presidency of the organization. But until very recently, the holding of the event remained uncertain.

It took four years for the holding of this summit to materialize, reports our special correspondent in Djerba, Clementine Pawlotsky. Initially scheduled for 2020, this 18th edition has been postponed for the first time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A year later, in 2021, Tunisia is plagued by protests. Part of the population opposes the strengthening of the powers of President Kais Saied. A climate of tension which pushes the Member States of La Francophonie to postpone the event once once more, officially to allow Tunisia to organize it in ” the most optimal conditions ».

► To read also: “More than 60% of those who use French on a daily basis are in Africa”

In the months that followed, the press revealed that certain countries, such as Canada, were wondering: should the organization of this summit in Tunisia be maintained or not? No Member State will finally seize the General Secretariat of the OIF to oppose it. It will nevertheless be necessary to wait until September for the organization to confirm the holding of the summit, and for all doubt to be definitively removed.

The last edition of the Francophonie Summit dates back to 2018. It took place in Yerevan, Armenia, the country which has held the presidency of the OIF until now.

---

What challenges for Tunisia?

Dozens of cultural events are scheduled on the sidelines of the summit. Between enthusiasm and doubts, the summit raises the debate in Tunisia, reports our correspondent, Amira Souilem.

Restoring Tunisia’s image internationally is one of the authorities’ objectives, as explained by Mohamed Trabelsi of the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is the spokesperson for the event…

► To listen also: In Tunisia, the French, passion and political weapon for Habib Bourguiba, father of independence