At the OIF summit in Phnom Penh, Emmanuel Macron’s call for “unity” and “consensus” does not settle the contest for the organisation’s next secretary-general. It instead highlights the immediate choice facing members: reach a political agreement or, if agreement fails, use a formal vote.
Opening the 20th OIF summit, the French president said the organisation’s expansion required members to “build consensus to preserve unity,” Le Figaro reported. The intervention comes before the planned selection on Monday morning at the summit’s close in Cambodia.
The OIF’s 53 full members are due to choose among four candidates: incumbent Rwandan secretary-general Louise Mushikiwabo, Congolese candidate Juliana Lumumba, former Mauritanian minister Coumba Ba and former Romanian prime minister Dacian Cioloș. Mushikiwabo has led the organisation since 2018.
Kinshasa’s stated readiness to withdraw Lumumba changes the contest’s political arithmetic without ensuring a negotiated result. The DRC said it was prepared to do so to build consensus around Cioloș. Its position is intended to block Mushikiwabo’s reappointment amid tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group in eastern Congo, an accusation reported by Le Figaro.
Rwanda said on Saturday that Mushikiwabo would remain in the race. She also said that the organisation’s unity “does not imply uniformity of positions.” That is the material limit to Macron’s appeal: seeking consensus does not remove the disagreement driving this election.
Consensus is the OIF’s traditional method of appointment, but a procedure adopted in 2022 allows a simple-majority vote when it cannot be reached. Macron’s intervention therefore puts France under pressure to help enable a compromise, without allowing it to decide for the membership.
Sources
- Le Figaro Actualités · Source date: 2026-11-15
- France 24 Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-14
- France 24 Tous titres · Source date: 2026-11-14
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-15