A Francophonie Gastronomic Fair was held on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at the Alliance Française de Monrovia. This culinary festival was part of the annual event that bring together French speaking countries whose embassies are accredited to Liberia. As an annual event, it is billed as the annual "Spring of the Francophonie" (Printemps de la Francophonie) celebrations in Liberia. The event is held as a celebration of the “diverse culinary cultures of the French-speaking world as part of Liberia's week-long Francophonie celebration.” According to the release, this culinary festival was part of week-long Francophonie celebration. Countries represented included Morocco, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Cameron, France, Togo etc.
The event showcased the history of France and its relationship with its former colonies. The food stands showcased traditional foods of the member countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). It was great to see foods on display from these French speaking countries including France itself, the mother country.
At the event, the Morocco Embassy was represented by Ambassador Lahoucine Rahmouni and his office staffs as well as those invited as guests of the embassy. Due to the outreach efforts by the Ambassador, the Moroccan boot was one of the most visited ones at the culinary festival. Foods presented at the Moroccan booth included the followings: Couscous, couscous and vegetable mixed, beef and fried chickens and other food items. As humans, we all may eat the same foods but the way we prepare them maybe influenced by our various cultures. So, at the food festival, it was an opportunity for the international invited guests to taste a little of everything, giving one the opportunity to taste different flavors from different countries.
The culinary festival was part of the weeklong of events celebrating the richness and diversity of the French speaking world. The activities included film screenings, cultural exhibition, concerts and food festival organized by the French speaking embassies, schools and cultural institutions. The short- and long-term goals of the weeklong events are to promote the French language and celebrate the Francophone cultural diversity. It is also meant to strengthen a sense of identity in the global French speaking world. The weeklong event also serves as a conduit for cultural diplomacy and public engagement.
The weeklong event is informed by what may be called demographic trends based on World Bank 2020 population count of 1.2 billion young people between the ages of 15 to 24 in the world. According to projection, in 2060, there are estimated population of 700 million that will live in Francophone countries, of which, ¾ will be in Africa within the age range of under 30.
There was live band performance as well as dancers who kept the people entertained while they were washing down the foods with water and variety of drinks. The event was climaxed by group dance with the diplomats from the various embassies dancing and sharing fun.