The 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is set to elect the next Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie on November 16. However, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has made it his mission to sabotage the vote, driven by his anti-Rwanda sentiment. Tshisekedi wants a Congolese candidate at the helm of the OIF for the next mandate, and if that fails, he threatens to pull the Democratic Republic of Congo out of the organization.
In February 2026, Kinshasa put forward Juliana Amato Lumumba, a former Minister of Culture and daughter of the late Prime Minister Patrice Emery Lumumba, to challenge the incumbent Secretary-General, Louise Mushikiwabo. Despite pouring millions of dollars into Lumumba's candidacy, the campaign quickly ran aground due to poor conception and a lack of credible vision for the organization. Lumumba has expressed frustration, accusing Kinshasa of abandoning her in the race.
With the election approaching and prospects of victory looking slim for Tshisekedi's camp, a new tactic has emerged: threatening to withdraw the DRC from the OIF. During his visit to Kinshasa, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met Tshisekedi, who threatened that the DRC would leave the organization if Louise Mushikiwabo were re-elected. The same threat was repeated by Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya in a recent interview.
Kinshasa's campaign lost the contest by choosing to challenge Mushikiwabo not on her performance or qualifications but largely because she is Rwandan. The regime's goal is now clear: divide the bloc and force a stalemate in which the organization remains dysfunctional if it does not heed its latest tantrum. This tactic has been used in other organizations, including the East African Community and the SADC community.
The East African Community and SADC are now sidelined in the search for a solution to the Congolese crisis, and Kinshasa owes money in unpaid contributions to both. Similarly, the AU and the UN have become battlegrounds for Kinshasa's campaign to impose its narrative of the crisis, a narrative in which it portrays itself as a victim without mentioning the peace agreement it signed in Washington.
As delegates prepare to gather in Phnom Penh, concerns arise about the impact of Tshisekedi's tactics on the OIF. The Congolese president is bringing 100 delegates to Cambodia, and his threat to withdraw from the OIF may not move the needle. The question remains whether the OIF will refuse to crown the undisputed winner of these elections just to appease a regime that arms a genocidal group.
The situation highlights a consistent pattern adopted by Kinshasa under the Tshisekedi administration: it divides every single organization it belongs to, either getting its way or disrupting the whole structure. The international community is watching closely as the OIF election approaches, and the outcome may have significant implications for the stability of the organization and the region.
Key points
- Kinshasa's tactics threaten the stability of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
- Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi's administration employs divisive tactics in international organizations.
- The OIF election outcome may have significant implications for the stability of the organization and the region.
