Africa-Press. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda are preparing for a new diplomatic confrontation within the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
The outlines of this confrontation have emerged with Rwanda’s announcement that it intends to nominate Louise Mushikiwabo for a third term as head of the organisation’s secretariat-general, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo has confirmed it will put forward a rival candidate.
This development comes against the backdrop of a deepening crisis between Kinshasa and Kigali, with Congolese authorities having shown clear distrust toward the International Organisation of La Francophonie for several years.
Recent months have seen public tensions, as Kinshasa has repeatedly voiced its dissatisfaction with the organisation’s role, at times even refraining from appearing in official group photographs during its summits and meetings.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to accuse Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo of failing to condemn what it describes as Rwanda’s actions on its territory since 2018.
Tensions have escalated to the point where some close allies of the Congolese president have called for the suspension of the country’s membership in the organisation, or even a complete withdrawal. This strained diplomatic climate also led Mushikiwabo to skip the Francophonie Games hosted by Kinshasa in 2023.
At present, Kinshasa appears determined to use all its influence within the organisation to block Mushikiwabo from securing another term, despite recognising the difficulty of such an effort, particularly as her re-election campaign has been under way for several months, according to diplomatic sources.
The challenge for the DRC also lies in its ability to select a candidate capable of rallying sufficient support within an organisation where decisions are typically made by consensus. Diplomatic sources also point to another possible outcome: that neither the Congolese nor the Rwandan candidate would be elected if consensus proves elusive. In the meantime, the Congolese government insists that “the Democratic Republic of the Congo will fully assume leadership within the International Organisation of La Francophonie.”
