Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are heading for a diplomatic battle over ​the leadership of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), with both fielding rival candidates as ‌fighting grinds in the eastern DRC.

Friday is the deadline to submit candidacies for the position of secretary general of the OIF, which represents more than 320 million French speakers worldwide and brings together 90 states and governments.

The diplomatic contest ​is unfolding amid continued clashes between DRC and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels, who seized control of ​the eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu in early 2025. Rwanda denies allegations ⁠from Kinshasa, Western nations and United Nations experts that it backs the insurgents.

Mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar ​and the African Union have failed to halt the fighting.

The OIF post carries significant diplomatic weight, with ​a mandate covering education, cultural policy, human rights and economic co-operation.

Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo, the incumbent secretary general, is seeking a third term. She faces a challenge from Congo’s Juliana Lumumba, a former culture minister and the daughter of the country’s ​independence leader and first Prime Minister.

Mauritania’s Coumba Ba, a Presidential Adviser, and Romania’s Former Prime Minister Dacian ​Cioloș are also running.Kinshasa has thrown significant diplomatic weight behind Lumumba’s bid, which was announced ‌in ⁠late February. The candidate recently travelled to several African countries as well as Canada, the OIF’s second-largest funder.

DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told Reuters that Kinshasa was pursuing the bid “in a positive and constructive spirit”, pointing to the growing demographic and cultural weight of French-speaking Africa.

With a population of about 100 million, DRC is the world’s largest ​French-speaking country.

“For us, this ⁠election is not about rivalry between states or bilateral tensions,” Muyaya said. “The OIF is a multilateral organisation that goes beyond short-term political disputes.”

–Reuters–