The 23rd Africa-France Summit, with the main theme of "African youth, its vitality, its creativity, their hopes," opened in Mali's capital of Bamako on Saturday.

Heads of state or government from 53 countries around Africa, as well as French President Jacques Chirac attended the two-day summit.

The summit aims to tackle issues of African youth, the continent's conflicts and immigration. Conflicts in Sudan's violence-wracked Darfur region and the war-divided Cote D'Ivoire were also likely to top the agenda.

In his opening speech, Mali President Amadou Toumani Toure said

that African youths are the hope and future of the continent.

However, they are suffering from the diseases, unrest, poverty and unemployment presently. "They need our care and guidance, and we have to keep young people at home by providing them with more opportunities for future career," he added.

Omar Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, gave a speech representing the heads of African states. He said the summit provided a good chance for leaders of both France and African countries to ponder the youth issues.

President Chirac also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He said the future of Africa would be determined by the African youths, and the future of the young people would be rooted in the continent as well.

"In this new century, Africa will impress the world with its success. France intends to contribute to this rebirth," he added.

Nearly 75 percent of Africans under the age of 30 are unemployed, according to a report issued by the United Nations Office for West Africa on Thursday in Senegal.

The high unemployment rate is a cause of profound social instability, the UN said. Many of the African youths try to emigrate illegally to the richer countries in Europe in order to escape the intense poverty.

"As long as youths in the region regard their prospects for securing work in West Africa as unattainable, they will continue to try to escape from what seem to be lands of non-opportunity," said Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, the UN special representative for West Africa.

The West African youths are facing only two options, violence or migration, which in turn represents a security risk for established mature democracies, he said.

The 23rd summit will also attempt to reinforce ties between France and African countries, some of which are former French colonies, since France attempts to reshape its role in Africa after over 50 years' close patronage to its former colonies in the continent.

The Africa-France summit is held alternatively in France or Africa once every two years. This year's summit includes three closed-door sessions, and will end on Sunday.

Source: Xinhua