The President of the Republic yesterday visited the Charles de Gaulle Foundation in recognition of the works of one of France’s greatest statesmen. President Paul Biya was yesterday afternoon at N° 5, Rue Solférino, the headquarters of the Fondation Charles de Gaulle, set up in 1976 by a group of admirers of the former French President to perpetuate his works.
The President was driven into the austere premises of the Foundation at about 2.50 p.m. in company of Mr. Jacques Toubon, the Secretary General, appointed by President Nicolas Sarkozy to liase between France and the African countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of their independence inside 2010.

As he stepped out of his limousine, senior officials of the Foundation, led by the 88-year old Mr Pierre Lefranc, the Vice President, were on hand to usher the President into the building, situated directly opposite N° 10 Solférino Street, the national headquarters of France’s Socialist Party.

Inside the building the President was shown the famous London Appeal of June 18, 1940 by General de Gaulle engraved on a copper shield. The President then went on to lay a wreath at the feet of a mounted bust of the French General, before going upstairs to visit the office he used between 1947 and 1950. Mr. Leblanc who served as, General de Gaulle’s Chief of Cabinet (personal assistant) recounted their days in that office and showed some relics the General particularly cherished, such as a typing machine which he used and which has been carefully kept for posterity. It is from this office, it was learned, that De Gaulle was appointed to head the French government by President René Coty. It was as head of government that he initiated the writing of the new Constitution that ushered the fifth republic which he was President.

From this history-packed room, President Biya was led to the library of the Foundation on the ground floor where, it was revealed, General de Gaulle regularly met with his collaborators, such as Michel Debré or Georges Pompidou who were later to play frontline roles in French politics.

Inside the library, the Secretary General of the Foundation, Antoine Dupont-Fauville, corroborating the welcome statement of the Vice President, Pierre Lefranc recalled the debt of gratitude General de Gaulle had for Africa. He recalled that the first rallying messages to his 1940 London appeal came from Africa, notably Cameroon, Chad and Congo.

In reply to the welcome remarks, President Biya spoke of his presence at the foundation as a rare privilege, given the status and stature of the man, de Gaulle. The President recalled, with gratitude, the speech made by General de Gaulle on June 30, 1944 and which veritably traced the path that eventually led to obtaining of independence by several African States. Before leaving the premises, the President of the Republic was offered some gifts consisting essentially of written works on or by General de Gaulle.

The President signed the Foundation’s Visitors’ books, leaving a message that clearly pointed to the “former French President’s admirable heritage. “The African that I am will without hesitation highlight the major role played by General de Gaulle in the process of attaining independence by peoples under French trusteeship”. In this regard, one can safely say that he belongs to our common historical heritage, read a passage of President Biya’s message in the Foundation’s Livre d’Or.

The Foundation is apolitical with a 14-member board of governors among which are nine elected members, three members designated by the Ministers of the Interior, Finance and the Conseil d’Etat as well as two ex-officio members: the Chancelier de l’Ordre de la Libération and Pierre Lefranc, a founding member. Its day-to-day activities are handled by a 30-person staff in its three stations : Paris, Lille (his birthplace) and Colombey-les-deux Eglises, his village of origin.

Some well-known guests who have visited the Foundation include Chinese President Hu Jintao and the former American President Richard Nixon.