Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) – The Burundian government is canvassing diplomatic support for the candidacy of former president Pierre Buyoya for the post of Secretary General of the Francophonie, official sources said Wednesday in Bujumbura. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – The permanent council of the International Francophone Organization (OIF), composed of representatives from 77 member countries, on Friday lifted the suspension of Guinea Bissau from the organisation.Full text...

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) – Mauritian Prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, on Friday officially proposed the candidacy of Jean-Claude de l’Estrac, current Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) for Francophonie, as chairman of the International Francophone organization. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) – France will closely work with Senegal to make the next Summit of International Francophone Organization (OIF) scheduled for Dakar in 2014 a successful event, the spokesman of France’s ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippe Lalliot, has said. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) - Niger has paid about 300,000 euros or about CFAF 200 million, representing many years of outstanding contributions, to the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), PANA learnt Monday from Niger's government. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - Heads of State and Government of member countries of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) decided on Sunday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), to give Senegal the hosting rights for the next OIF summit in 2014, PANA reported. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) – The president of Niger, Mamadou Issoufou and president Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, arrived in Kinshasa on Friday to attend the 14th Francophonie summit in the Congolese capital. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - The Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie (CMF) Thursday received bids from Senegal and Vietnam for the hosting of the 15th Summit of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) in 2014, PANA reports Friday from here. Full text...

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) – The Beninese president and chairman of the African Union, Boni Yayi, will attend the 14th summit of heads of State and government from International francophone organization (OIF), which opens Friday in capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, diplomatic sources told PANA on Thursday in Cotonou. Full text...

Conakry, Guinea (PANA) – Guinean president Alpha Condé leaves Conakry on Friday for Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo, to attend the 14th summit of heads of State of francophone countries, a statement from the press bureau at the presidency of the Republic says. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) – The 14th summit of the international francophone organization (OIF) due to open on Monday in the Democratic Republic of Congo will pay attention to the crisis in francophone countries, according to Ousmane Paye, special adviser of OIF secretary-general, Abdou Diouf. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - Kinshasa, the DR Congo capital, "vibrated" Wednesday evening to the beat of more than 100 musicians from french-speaking African countries as leaders from the 75-nation Francophonie gather here for their biennial summit on Friday, PANA reports. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) – The secretary-general of the International francophone organization (OIF), Abdou Diouf, on Wednesday defended the plan to introduce a "Francophone visa" describing it as a "beautiful project" that should not be abandoned despite several obstacles. Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) – Côte d’Ivoire has been re-admitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF), from which it was expelled when President Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down after his defeat by Alassane Ouattara.Full text...

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - The 38th session of the Inter-parliamentary assembly of the Francophonie opens on Wednesday in Brussels to discuss and adopt resolutions and recommendations to be presented to the heads of state and government during the 14th Francophonie summit slated for 14 October in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Full text...

Paris, France (PANA) - The International Francophonie Organization (OIF) has reaffirmed that its14th summit will take place as scheduled on 13-14 October in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - The Officer in charge of the Francophonie summit, Ousmane Paye, is expected on 20 March in Kinshasa, DR Congo, at the head of a delegation of the International Francophonie Organization to assess preparations for the XIV Francophonie summit, official sources in the DR Congolese capital said Monday. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) – The secretary-general of the international Francophone Organization (OIF), Abdou Diouf, on Thursday lauded preparations by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to host the 14th Francophone summit in Kinshasa in October 2012.Full text...

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - An international conference of the Francophonie is being held in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, as part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), PANA reports from here. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - The International Francophonie Organization (OIF) on Wednesday reiterated its "total readiness" to support DR Congo's development efforts. Full text...

Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) – The 37th francophone parliamentary assembly scheduled for 5-8 July in Kinshasa will focus on peace, democracy, elections and economic development, according to a statement from the Bureau of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (FPA) made available to PANA on Monday in the Congolese capital.Full text...

Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - The 19th session of the Africa Regional Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie opened Thursday in Rabat, Morocco. Full text...

Montreux- Switzerland (PANA) -- Human rights organisations, including Amnesty Int ernational and the Fondation Hirondelle, Thursday called for greater respect for human rights i n member countries of the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF), which is holding its 13 th summit here this weekend. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- Malian president Amadou Toumani Toure leaves Bamako on Fri day for Switzerland to participate in the 13th summit of the International Franc o phonie Organization (OIF) which opens on Saturday in Montreux, Switzerland. Full text...

Montreux- Switzerland (PANA) -- The 18th summit of the international francophone organization (OIF), due to be held from 22 to 24 October in Montreux, Switzerlan d , will devote a large part of its programme to political issues. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The secretary-general of the International Francophone O rganization (OIF), Abdou Diouf, on Tuesday urged African presidents to fully pla y their role in globalization, saying â?whether we want it or not, nothing will p revent Africa from globalizingâ?. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- A research organisation, the Study and Research Group on Democracy and Economic and Social Development in Africa (GERDESS-Africa), on Saturday condemned the decline of democracy in francophone Africa. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The international Francophone Organization (OIF) on Monda y lifted the suspension of Mauritania, saying the country has returned to consti t utional order following the 18 July presidential election. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The Francophonie administrator, Clement Duhaime, has presented a strategic plan which aims to transform the International Francophone Organization (OIF) into a â?model institutionâ?. Full text...

Lomé- Togo (PANA) -- The general secretary of the International Francophone Organization (OIF), Abdou Diouf, on Monday expressed his intention to appeal to Burkina Faso's president Blaise Compaoré to intervene in the political crisis in Togo. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The cities of Kinshasa, in DR of Congo and Ouagadougou, i n Burkina Faso, have been selected to be part of the network of "Houses of Knowl e dge of the Francophonie,” an official source in Paris told PANA here. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) – The Vice--Chancellor of the University of Reims Champagne- Ardenne (Eastern France), Richard Vistelle, will on May 6 honour the Secretary G e neral of the International Francophonie Organization (OIF), Mr Abdou Diouf, with a doctorate degree, a communiqué reaching PANA Tuesday said. Full text...

Tunis- Tunisia (PANA) -- Tunisian president Zine El Abidine on Saturday called fo r the strengthening of co-operation in education within la francophonie, saying t his represented "a considerable stake for member states which profit from the us e of the French language and sharing of skills and the knowledge". Full text...

Quebec- Canada (PANA) – The headquarters of the In-ternational Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) will open in the French capital, Paris, in 2010 following an agreement signed on Saturday in Quebec, Canada. Full text...

Quebec- Canada (PANA) -- Heads of state and governments attending the 12th Summit of the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF) here Saturday began discussing, in a close session, the international situation, hallmarked by a global financial crisis. Full text...

Québec- Canada (PANA) -- Mali's Amadou Toumani Touré, Cameroon's Paul Biya and Ga bon's Omar Bongo Ondimba are the first three African heads of state to arrive in Québec, the Canadian province of the same name, which hosts Saturday and Sunday t he 12th summit of the International Francophonie Organisation (OIF), summit sour c es told PANA Thursday. Full text...

Québec- Canada (PANA) -- The president of DR Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila, and his Malagasy counterpart, Marc Ravalomanana, will defend the respective candidatures of their countries to host the Francophonie summit in 2010 during the meeting of the heads of state and government scheduled to take place from 18 to 19 October i n Québec, Canada. Full text...

Tunis- Tunisia (PANA) -- The next Francophonie summit scheduled to take place fro m 17 to 19 October in Québec, Canada, was at the heart of discussions when the m i nister in charge of Francophonie in the Canadian province, Mrs Monique Gagnon-Tr e mblay, paid a visit to Tunisia. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- The secretary general of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf, has urged France to do more for the Francophonie, as it is the first francophone economic and political power. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday urged Algeria to join the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) and invited his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika to attend the next francophone summit. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- The Administrator of the International Organisat ion of Francophonie (OIF), Clement Duhaime, arrived here Saturday evening on a t h ree-day working visit. Full text...

Ventiane- Laos (PANA) -- The secretary general of the Francophonie, Abdou Diouf is urging member states of OIF to ratify the UNESCO convention on cultural diversity, which he describes as a "society project that allows peaceful coexistence, thinking together and managing our common destiny in a democratic way". Full text...

Vientiane- Laos (PANA) -- The minister of Cooperation, Development and Francophonie, Jean-Marie Bockel has expressed the desire for Algeria to seek membership into the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF). Full text...

Vientiane- Laos (PANA) -- The 23rd Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie that opened Tuesday at Vientane in Laos is expected to heavily discuss the crises in DR Congo, Central African Republic, the Comoros and other African countries, according to Ousmane Paye, special adviser to OIF secretary general Abdou Diouf. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The International Francophonie Agency (OIF) is currently studying all legislations of its member countries with a view to proposing a legal framework to decriminalize offences by the media, the delegation of the OIF in Dakar told PANA on Thursday. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) – The University of Saint--Etienne, in the south- east of France, is to award, on 19 October, the title of honorary doctor to the secretary general of the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF), Abdou Diouf, official sources told PANA here Wednesday. Full text...

Bucharest- Romania (PANA) -- Abdou Diouf, the secretary general of the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF), appealed here Friday to the international community to mobilise resources to reconstruct Lebanon after Israel's recent bombing raids on the country. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Morocco has called for support from the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) for its bid to host the 2012 World Exposition in the northern city of Tangiers, Moroccan news agency MAP reported on Thursday, adding that the request was made at the 22nd session of the OIF Ministerial Conference in Bucharest. Full text...

technologies- chosen as the theme of the 11th summ-it of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) constitute a serious and exceptionally important issue, OIF secretary-general Abdou Diouf said Thursday in Bucharest, Romania. Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore will attend the 11th conference of heads of State and government of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) slated 28-29 September in Bucharest, Romania, his office announced here Wednesday a statement. Full text...