Gabon seeks a voice at Francophonie summit in Cambodia
Foreign Minister Marie-Édith Tassyla-Ye-Doumbeneny leads Gabon's delegation to the 20th Francophonie Summit, which gathers 90 member states.
Foreign Minister Marie-Édith Tassyla-Ye-Doumbeneny is representing President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 15 and 16, 2026. Libreville wants to shape debates on the future of the organisation, including peace, cooperation and shared prosperity. On arrival she was welcomed by Long Yes, under-secretary of state at the Cambodian foreign ministry.
The minister's ministry said the summit is not just another meeting, and that Gabon wants to help decide the direction of the French-speaking space. Before the sessions, she held a working meeting with her delegation, including Alfred Nguia Banda, Gabon's ambassador to France. The summit, themed "Reinvesting in peace for shared prosperity and lasting stability", brings together representatives of 90 member states and governments.
The talks will cover political, economic, cultural and educational cooperation, and the role of the Francophonie in multilateral diplomacy and crisis prevention. The next secretary general of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) is also due to be elected at the summit.
Why it mattersThe summit's vote for the next secretary general of the OIF will set who leads the organisation's agenda for the coming years.