Two weeks away from the Yerevan summit, where the position of Secretary General of the OIF will be nominated between incumbent Secretary General Michaelle Jean who seeks re-election and Rwandan Foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo; Lemoyne has approved France’s support towards the latter.
Here below are some excerpts;
{{France’s support towards Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo has been very surprising. Why this choice?
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{{Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne:}} You know, above all, the candidature of Louise Mushikiwabo was supported by the African Union and the African continent. And it is true that France— as the President of the Republic repeatedly said, considers Africa as the center of gravity of La Francophonie, today. So, having, as we prepare to celebrate 50 years as an organisation in 2020, an African woman at the head of the International Organization of La Francophonie, would make a lot of sense.
{{Yes, but in May 2018, it is still at the Elysee Palace that Paul Kagame and Emmanuel Macron announced the candidacy of Louise Mushikiwabo.
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Once again, France comes in support of a candidacy that has already declared itself. We have evolved from games that perhaps, once made the happiness of a certain relationship between France and Africa. France wants to support a vision where education of young women and languages are at the heart of the organization.
{{For 8 years, French has been replaced by English at the Rwandan public school. So concretely, what is La Francophonie going to do today in Rwanda?
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Precisely, the Rwandan authorities are committed to bring back the French language in public education.
{{Yes, but English will remain the main language taught in schools, right?
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There are many states of La Francophonie that are bilingual states. Look at Canada, as an example.
{{Four former ministers of Cooperation -Charles Josselin, Pierre-André Wiltzer, Hélène Conway-Mouret and André Vallini, said that Louise Mushikiwabo had no place at the head of the OIF, especially because Rwanda is not a good example when it comes to democracy and human rights.
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I will not comment on the forum as such. What I see is actions and facts. A few weeks ago, some convicts were released in Rwanda, I also note that Rwanda, is at the forefront of the fight for equality between women and men on the continent. I was also able to discuss with Louise Mushikiwabo on climate issues and I could see how much she was mobilized on these subjects. She also wants to ensure that youth issues and employment are at the heart of her mandate.
{{The release of the 2,000 prisoners, including the opponent Victoire Ingabire, is this an effect from La Francophonie ?
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It’s not for me to comment on how this is done. What I know is that these releases were made and that it’s a good sign. La Francophonie is not an international organization that built itself from giving others lessons. I think it has a lot do with mediation and diplomacy, where President Abdou Diouf made some progress, during his mandate.
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