“There can be no Francophonie with a Rwandan woman at its head for as long as Rwanda supports the M23,” an official statement said.
The bitter security crisis in the African Great Lakes region is spilling onto the global diplomatic stage this week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are squaring off at the election of the Secretary-General for the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, The EastAfrican reported.
Kinshasa is throwing its weight behind Juliana Lumumba, daughter of independence hero Patrice Lumumba, to block the incumbent Rwandan candidate, Louise Mushikiwabo, from securing a third term leading the 90-member French-speaking bloc. The crowded field also features Romania’s Dacian Cioloș and Mauritania’s Coumba Ba.
For the DRC, the stakes are existential. Government officials argue that supporting the Rwandan candidate violates the foundational values of the OIF, pointing to United Nations expert reports alleging that Kigali backs the M23 rebel coalition.
“We are united by values. These values must be reflected in the choice of Secretary General. For us, it is obvious that the OIF must no longer be led by Ms Mushikiwabo. It is obvious, in the name of the values we uphold,” said Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya.
Kinshasa is quietly brandishing a stark ultimatum: withdrawing entirely from the OIF if Mushikiwabo wins re-election on November 16. With 57 million French speakers out of a population of 100 million, the DRC represents the demographic anchor of the French language.
“We will draw all the consequences from the choice that is made when the time comes,” said Muyaya, noting that domestic public opinion already favors leaving the bloc.
Researchers warn that an exodus by Kinshasa would shatter the organization. “If the DRC leaves the Francophonie, it will be the end of this organisation,” said researcher and lecturer Françis Pkatinde.
The two main financial contributors to the OIF—France, which funds 36 percent of the budget, and Canada, which covers 25 percent—have officially declared no preference. In 2018, Paris backed Mushikiwabo over Canada’s Michaëlle Jean amid a diplomatic rapprochement with Kigali.
Dropping the incumbent now risks reigniting political tensions with Rwanda, while backing a European candidate like Cioloș would alienate African member states. Meanwhile, Mauritania’s Coumba Ba has emerged as a potential consensus alternative that could appeal to African states hoping to bring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger back into the OIF.
Following the first hearings in the OIF’s history before foreign ministers on June 29 and 30, observers say two candidates are pulling ahead, and internal OIF polls indicate momentum favors Mushikiwabo. However, the final decision rests with 53 heads of state and government.
The 53 heads of state and government will decide on November 16.
