Francophone nations vow to ramp up collective diplomacy

Leaders of the world's French-speaking nations wound up a twoday gathering in Tunisia on Sunday by calling for solutions to global challenges, including the migrant crisis that has seen people leave Africa in search of better lives in Europe.

The gathering of the 88-nation International Organisation of La Francophonie, of IOF, included discussion about several global issues, including the need for debt relief for African countries, and the challenge of food and energy shortages attributed to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

The French international news agency Agence France-Presse, quoted Louise Mishikiwabo, the organization's secretary-general and Rwanda's former foreign minister, as saying member nations should use their collective power to try to solve crises within the francophone world.

"The IOF must remain a link that can be used to prevent tensions from degenerating into conflicts," she said.

Attendees of the summit included France's President Emmanuel Macron, Senegal's President Macky Sall, European Council President Charles Michel, and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as leaders from Burundi, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, and Rwanda.

AFP said it gave Western and African leaders a rare chance to focus on not only technology and development issues but on humanitarian challenges.

Macron said he would like to see the IOF develop more of a diplomatic role in future, instead of focusing on economic issues, and said French remains "the universal language of the African continent", which makes the IOF particularly relevant.

Broadcaster France 24 said the IOF also discussed growing instability and popular discontent in francophone Africa, which was personified by Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, the prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, refusing to pose for a photo with Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, over claims Rwanda was supporting rebels in his country.

The summit marked the 50th anniversary of the IOF, which has some non-French-speaking member nations, including Armenia and Serbia, that joined because of the bloc's growing relevance.

Around 321 million people speak French, with the total predicted to grow to 750 million by 2050, prompting Mushikiwabo to say the organization may be more relevant today than ever.

The IOF gathering, which usually takes place every two years, was last held three years ago because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.