Francophonie leaders vow to face human-rights issues

The Francophonie alliance of French-speaking countries, long accused of being too soft on gross human rights violations among the dictators representing many of its member nations, will directly confront that issue at the next summit in the violence-plagued Democratic Republic of Congo, participants acknowledged here Sunday.

"Every summit is a time for assessment," D.R.C. President Joseph Kabila, whose army includes soldiers and officers accused of atrocities such as mass rapes, said at the closing ceremonies of the Francophonie summit in Switzerland.

"Be assured, ladies and gentleman, that in accepting to host the 14th Francophonie Summit we accept the commitment to promote these values and ideals on Congolese territory."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who announced Sunday a $13.5-million program to help girls and young women deal with the physical and psychological effects of sexual violence in the D.R.C., acknowledged the rights question is a "delicate" matter within the alliance of 56 members and 14 observer governments.

He said he spoke privately to Kabila on Sunday about Canada's concerns. "We see (the 2012 summit) as an opportunity for Congo to further address some of these issues, and I was able to have a conversation with President Kabila on that," he told reporters.

The Francophonie summit's final declaration included several pledges committing member states to respect and promote human rights.

But an Amnesty International spokesman said the Francophonie must do more than just voice verbal support for rights, as it has done for years at these gatherings of an organization that costs Canadian taxpayers $40 million annually.

Philippe Hensmans described the alliance as a "family" where it is generally forbidden to voice criticisms of each other in public. "The heads of state are not accountable to their colleagues. And that's a big problem," he said.

He also said Canada's program for women and girls isn't enough, because many women and girls who receive treatment to heal their wounds are frequently raped again.

The Francophonie, meanwhile, on Sunday supported Quebec Premier Jean Charest's offer to host a parallel summit in Quebec City in 2012 on the future of the French language.


(2010-10-25/ottawacitizen)