Africa Notes: The 1990 Franco-African Summit - August 1990

August 30, 1990

The sixteenth Franco-African summit, held June 19-21 at the French coastal resort of La Baule, was attended by 35 African delegations, 22 led by heads of state (see "Attendance at the La Baule Summit," page 3). The informal agenda, "Debt and Political Evolution in Africa," adroitly acknowledged that the meeting was taking place amid a wave of "democratization" unrest directed at many of the participating governments, and provided the French hosts with an opening to bring to the fore new links between aid and the quality of governance.