The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a 90-member confederation of French-speaking nations, is holding a three-day summit in Cambodia amid a leadership dispute that threatens to fracture the group.
The OIF will choose a new secretary-general on Monday for a four-year term. Rwanda's Louise Mushikiwabo, who has led since 2018, is seeking a third term. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has threatened to leave the organisation if Mushikiwabo is re-elected, citing Rwanda's alleged backing of the M23 armed group in the DRC's east. Congo, the United States and UN experts say Rwanda backs M23.
The DRC withdrew its own candidate on Saturday and backed Romanian former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, saying it wanted to allow "consensus around a unifying candidacy". Rwanda's foreign minister said Mushikiwabo would remain in the race. Mauritania's Coumba Ba is also running.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who chaired the last summit in 2024 and is handing the chair to Cambodia, said most members agreed on the need for consensus. Rwanda has said Macron asked Kagame to withdraw its candidate and that Kigali refused, according to the AFP news agency.
The DRC's exit would damage the OIF. The country has a population of more than 110 million, roughly 40 million more than France, and is the most populous where French is an official language. The OIF has already lost Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which announced withdrawals in March 2025 following suspensions over military coups.
About 20 leaders are attending, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Vietnamese President To Lam, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. The summit runs through Monday in Phnom Penh.