Thierry de Montbrial

Louise Mushikiwabo is quite an extraordinary person, who I have had the honor of knowing for some years. She was the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs for eight years. She obviously has a deep-rooted African culture, even though Africa is a huge continent. She spent twenty years in the United States, and, of course, speaks perfect French. To have a person with a deep-rooted understanding of the American world, the European world and the African world performing her important role is an exceptional opportunity for La Francophonie.

General Secretary, before focusing on Africa, how do you react to what you've heard this morning?

Africa at the world table

Louise Mushikiwabo

The conversations we are having this morning, we should have them more often than every 40 years... The anniversary celebrated today is important, simply because the world is changing, and we citizens of the world, but also, we as institutions or politicians do not have the luxury of not thinking about the state of this world. Relations between Europe and China, or the United States, also represent only a part of what is happening in the world. As for my continent, Africa, I question its future in relation to China, Europe and the rest of the world.

Therefore, it is a very diverse debate, and I've very much enjoyed the preceding panel's comments, because they wanted to guide us towards what brings us together rather than what separates us. The concepts of “economic enemy” or “political enemy” do exist, but, in response to what is happening around the world, and above all in Europe, we are striving to build on what brings us together. Differences exist, the demands of today's world are varied, but trade wars, migration crises, climate crises, confrontations between countries of the Global North and Global South, are also opportunities. It was a bit strange that Africa was absent from the introductions to our debates. We are here to rectify that.

Thierry de Montbrial

Africa, I have mentioned it, but from a particular angle. The big problem for Europeans – I mean: for the European Union – is that they've never had, that we've never had deep-rooted discussions about our different approaches, including between our own countries. Jean-Louis Bourlanges said the same thing in a different way when he noted that we are still searching for an identity that was never actually developed. Once again, you cannot have a foreign policy or political unity, if you have not first clarified your relationship with yourself, and hence if you have not reached a certain unity of point of view vis-à-vis others. This is where we come to Africa: obviously, we do not have a shared vision among Europeans vis-à-vis Africa. [...]

Louise Mushikiwabo, a former Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs is Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Thierry de Montbrial is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.