Today, a summit of French-speaking countries opened in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, DW reports.
French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to prevent the organisation’s largest African member, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), from leaving—something that could happen because of a dispute over who will lead the bloc in future.
The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) brings together around 90 states and governments, including 53 full members—from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Canada.
It includes countries where French is an official language, former French colonies, as well as other states with deep historical ties to France.
On Monday, the OIF is due to elect a new secretary-general. Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, who has held the post since 2018, is seeking a third term. The DRC has threatened to leave the organisation if she is re-elected. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the armed M23 group in eastern Congo—an allegation Rwanda denies.
According to the OIF, the DRC has 57.3 million French speakers—the second-highest figure after France—so its departure would be a serious blow. Last year, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso left the organisation. Their membership had previously been suspended following coups.
On Saturday, the DRC said it was withdrawing its candidate, 71-year-old Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of national hero and independence leader Patrice Lumumba, who died a martyr’s death.
The authorities in Kinshasa said they would back former Romanian prime minister Dacian Cioloș in order to achieve “consensus around a unifying кандидатура”.
According to AFP, the proposal was conditional on Rwanda also withdrawing its candidacy. However, Rwanda’s foreign minister said Louise Mushikiwabo remains in the race.