DR Congo, Rwanda clash over Francophone top job

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The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, already mired in cross-border conflict, clashed on Saturday over who should next head a key group of French-speaking states and governments.

The next secretary-general of the 53-member Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, which begins a summit in Cambodia on Sunday, has become a major bone of contention.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived Saturday in the capital Phnom Penh, has requested that Rwanda withdraw its candidate for the job, current leader Louise Mushikiwabo, in favour of a compromise choice.

Mushikiwabo has been standing for another term against three other candidates, including DR Congo’s Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of national hero Patrice Lumumba.

Following a story in Jeune Afrique magazine reporting Macron’s move, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said his country had “rejected” the request.

DR Congo, the world’s second-largest French-speaking country, has threatened to quit the organisation in the event that Mushikiwabo is re-elected on Monday, according to several sources.

Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group’s activities inside DR Congo, which Kigali denies.

DR Congo stated on Saturday it was ready to withdraw Lumumba if Rwanda did likewise in favour of a third candidate who could deliver consensus and unity.

“We have called on all member states to work towards a consensus and, in that spirit, we would be prepared to withdraw our candidate’s nomination in order to facilitate the emergence of a consensus,” said DR Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner in Phnom Penh.

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