Democratic Republic of Congo 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 on in eastern Congo. 

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 Congo 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 UN 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 cooperation.

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.

CONGO IS WORLD'S LARGEST FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRY

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.

Congolese 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, Congo 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." 

Mushikiwabo, a former Rwandan foreign minister elected in 2018 with backing from France and re-elected in 2022, has framed her bid as one of continuity. 

Rwanda's Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Reuters that Mushikiwabo's bid rested on her record of strengthening and modernising the OIF. 

"Tensions that may exist between countries should not be exported into an organisation that does not deal with these issues," Nduhungirehe said.

The OIF has 53 members with voting rights, five associate members and 32 observers. It will choose its new leader at a summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 15 to 16.