Paris-Brazzaville: Francophonie is a disgraceful and shameful organization or hideout of African dictators

As far as I am concerned, I had never dreamt of ever working permanently in Congo or in any other African country, for I was already well established in France and was married with two children. But as I became very frequent on the continent, I began developing interest. However, the countries that I had in mind in case I wanted to resettle in Africa were Nigeria, Sudan or my native country, Cameroon. I also did develop keen interest in working in Ethiopia. My Congolese journey began with Rynelle Kourissa. Or should I say, it was Rynelle Kourissa who influenced by decision when, I made up my decision to go back to Africa and opted for Congo. Rynelle Kourissa is the daughter Mr Jean de Dieu Kourissa. And she is also one of the rare grand children of the  extended Nguesso ruling family who is not only intelligent but more so, independent minded, in a family who mostly think, that ,they were created to govern Congo and nothing else. Mr Jean de Dieu Kourissa, her father is a Member of Parliament in one of the electoral constituencies of Poto-poto.  Poto-poto is a populous neighborhood located north of Brazzaville. It is not only populous; it is also a cosmopolitan commercial hub and also one of the oldest in the city.

Jean de Dieu Kourissa is the son-in-law of Maurice Nguesso and Mr Maurice Nguesso is the elder brother and also the lone surviving brother of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. How come that, I opted to go to Brazzaville and work for the Nguessos or to be precise, Maurice Nguesso? This was how it all began.   As explained a little bit above, it was Rynelle Kourissa-Okounga who is my friend, who sparked it all.  She came one day into our office (3A Telesud) located at 15 rue Cognac Jay. I can’t recall the day or the month. All I can remember is that, it was in 2009. As for Cognac Jay, it is a street situated in the 7^th arrondissemnt of Paris and that, year, Rynelle Kourissa told or informed me that, Maurice Nguesso had a project to launch a television and Radio station in Brazzaville.  The Cognac Jay Street is a kind of Media Street or mythical street in Paris and France. Made so because, the same street and the same building that, 3 ATelesud was occupying two floors used to house prestigious French media houses. The last two most renowned electronic French media outfits she housed were France 5 and TV5. Both are state owned media houses, but the second while owned by the state has shareholders from Belgium, Canada (Quebec) and Switzerland (Suisse Romande).

TV 5 is a purely political and cultural channel created to promote the French language and culture. Hence it is financed by the aforementioned majority or partly French speaking countries through their ministries of foreign affairs and cooperation. The funding or subventions comes under the shield of a political organization called the “Francophonie”. The Francophonie is an organization that regroups countries that are French-speaking in majority or partly French-speaking. It is claimed to be the brainchild of former Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor, president of Tunisia Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba and President Hamani Diori of Niger. The late President of Tunisia Habib Ben Ali Bourguiba was born on the 3^rd of August 1903 and died on the 6^th of April 2000. He was president of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987, while President Hamani Diori of Niger was born on June 6^th 1916 and died on the 23^rd of April 1989 in Rabat, Morocco.

He was president of Niger from 10^th November 1960 to April 19^th 1974.  The abovementioned triumvirates are claimed to those who revived or actualized the French-speaking political body called the Francophonie. It is also claimed that, the late former President of Senegal, Leopold Sedar Senghor was the one credited to have coined the word Francophonie. It is not exactly correct, because according to the online dictionary Wikipedia, Senegal’s president was the second person to coin the word Francophonie in 1962, but before him, way back in 1880, the word Francophonie was first coined by two French brothers who were geographers by name Onesime Reclus and Elisee Reclus. However, Senegal’s president and his two other African colleagues abovementioned could be credited for have revived or worked hard in 1970 for the political Francophonie to exist. Senegal’s first president was born on the 9^th of October 1906 and died on the 20^th of December 2001. He was the first black African to be elected into the prestigious Academie Francaise on the 21^st of June 1983. Leopold Sedar Senghor was president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. 

The Academie Francaise or the French Academy according to Wikipedia, the online dictionary, was established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu who was the chief minister of King Louis XIII. It was however suppressed during the revolution in 1793 and restored as a division of the Institute de France in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. French Academy is made up of 40 members known as the immortals. Meanwhile the French Institute regroups five French learned Societies amongst which the French Academy is the most prestigious.  Most of its members are former French colonies located in Africa and in Asia. But recently, the Francophonie in a bid to increase its membership has been opening up her doors to countries that were not even France’s or Belgiums former colonies or that don’t speaking French.  One of such is Qatar. No one understands why the oil rich state is a member of the Francophonie if it is not it huge wealth that made the directorate of the Francophonie to lost its bearings.  The Francophonie in her ambitions wants to become like the Commonwealth of former British colonies that the Queen of England is its head even though symbolic.

But it can’t because, the Francophonie is weak in the defense and protection of human rights and real democracies, for most of its members from Africa, are most dictatorship. The Francophonie is a hideout for French-speaking African dictators, for they use their presence and membership into the 54 member states, 23 states with observers status and 3 associates members to shore up their international prestige.  The Francophonie is more vocal in the defense and promotion of the French language and culture globally than defending human right violations and the abuse of democracy that is prevent in most African countries that its members. The Francophonie is a disgraceful and shameful organization. Although I have presented Rynelle Kourissa-Okounga as the daughter of Jean de Dieu Kourissa MP, she is in reality, the niece of Mr Kourissa. But since she lost her mother at a tender age, she was brought up by Jean de Dieu, hence she is considered as her daughter. Furthermore in equatorial Africa, there is no such thing as a niece or a nephew.  The son or daughter of your brother or your sister is simply yours.