A l’occasion de l’officialisation de son adhésion au Commonwealth lors du Sommet de Kigali prévu en fin de semaine, La Libreville se met à l’heure anglaise et publiera dorénavant également des articles en anglais. Voici le premier d’entre eux. Bonne lecture !
Gabon will officially become member of the Commonwealth on 24 June at the heads of state and governement summit in Kigali (Rwanda). A huge turning point for the country as well as for the rest of the french-speaking Africa. On this occasion, La Libreville has decided from now on to start publishing some articles in english. Here’s the first one. Have a good reading!
The Prince of Wales, a close friend of the gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba, will arrive in Rwanda for the much-awaited Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that was postponed by the pandemic.
Charles will represent the Queen, head of the Commonwealth, when prime ministers and presidents gather in Rwanda for the global summit.
Ahead of CHOGM, the prince hailed the potential of the Commonwealth to make a difference on issues like climate change or providing opportunities for young people.
He said: « Taking shared responsibility to solve problems like these means the Commonwealth has the potential to make a profound difference in the lives of its citizens – and, in so doing, to be an unparalleled force for good in our world. »
The future king, who will be joined by the Duchess of Cornwall, will carry out a full day of engagements on Wednesday when he will meet survivors and perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.
In 1994 hundreds of thousands of members of the Tutsi community were slaughtered in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. The issue of genocide and reconciliation is said to be very close to the prince’s heart and he will visit a village that was targeted.
The trip will be the first royal visit to Rwanda and one of a minority of the world’s nations the Queen has not visited.
Charles has been encouraged by former Rwandan footballer Eric Murangwa to visit a church outside the Rwandan capital where the remains of tens of thousands of genocide victims are buried.
CHOGM will take place in Rwandan capital Kigali following its postponement in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Charles last represented the Queen at the event in Sri Lanka in 2013 – a move that was interpreted as preparation for his future role as monarch – and in 2018 he was appointed the monarch’s designated successor as head of the Commonwealth.
The event, which is usually held in a different country every two years, brings together leaders from the 54 Commonwealth nations.
Source: Bloomberg
