2007年VOA标准英语-African Leaders Prepare for Franco-African Summ

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
13 February 2007

 
A French policeman in front of the Cannes Festival Palace, where the Franco-African Summit is to be held
African heads of states are preparing to meet later this week (Feb. 15-16) with officials from France and other European governments in Cannes at the annual Franco-African Summit. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West African bureau in Dakar.

More than 30 African heads of states are expected in France in the seaside resort of Cannes.

It is the last such summit hosted by two-term French President Jacques Chirac, who has cultivated close ties with African leaders during the past decade. While French officials have sought to assure African leaders their ties with France will remain close, some analysts² say it will be hard to fill the void left by Mr. Chirac's departure

A researcher at the Paris-based National Center for Scientific Research, Roland Marchal, says Africa will lose a strong advocate on the world stage.

 
Jacques Chirac delivers speech at the Elysee Palace in Paris, 4 Jan 2007 
"He [Mr. Chirac] was always trying to keep Africa on the international agenda beyond his personal or France's interests. It is not so sure that Mr. Sarkozy or Madame Royal will share the same views," he said.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal are the early frontrunners in the upcoming French presidential election.

But Senegalese political and human rights analyst¹ Ibrahima Kane says France does not mean as much to Africa as it once did.

"There is a new generation of Africans who are not going to France, whose reference is no longer France, whose reference is the U.S., Asia and who are doing their best to try to develop links with those two continents," said Kane. "I think these trends show that in the next 20 to 25 years, the situation will completely change, and that will impose on our leaders a change of policy."

Hundreds of African protesters, along with members of international non-profit organizations, who say the summit does little to help average Africans are also planning to be in Cannes.

Caroline Maurel, with Oxfam France, is one of the protesters. She says French politicians' support of African dictatorships has impoverished³ Africans.

"France is responsible [for] putting into place some of these dictators," she said. "If France promotes good governance and a different kind of cooperation, then Africa will be helped and the population will finally have a voice."

 
Laurent Gbagbo (file photo)
Several African leaders are not attending the heads of states' summit, including Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and South African President Thabo Mbeki and Guinea's president, Lansana Conte, who has declared a state of emergency in response to calls for his departure.

The presidents of Sudan, Chad and Central African Republic are scheduled to meet during the summit. Chad and Sudan's presidents have traded accusations⁴ that each country's rebels are fueling conflicts in the other country.

France has bilateral⁵ agreements with both Chad and the Central African Republic to help protect their governments against insurgencies.

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。