Francophone summit opens with DR Congo, Rwandan clash

Detailed summary

A summit of French-speaking nations opened Sunday in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in the presence of leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron, seeking to avoid a walkout by…

A summit of French-speaking nations opened Sunday in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in the presence of leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron, seeking to avoid a walkout by its biggest African member.

The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has 53 full members and dozens more affiliated nations in a loose post-colonial association that resembles the English-speaking Commonwealth.

French President Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are attending, but it is the rivalry of the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, that is dominating the two-day talks.

Rwanda's Louise Mushikiwabo has led the OIF for eight years and is running for a third term, but the DR Congo is strongly opposed -- and has threatened to quit the organisation if she is re-elected on Monday.

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

Last year Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso withdrew from the OIF after successive coups that saw Paris-friendly governments replaced by pro-Russian juntas.

The departure of DR Congo -- the second most Francophone country after France with 57.3 million speakers, according to the OIF -- would be a major blow.

Four candidates are running for secretary general in addition to Mushikiwabo, including DR Congo's Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of national hero Patrice Lumumba.

DR Congo stated on Saturday it was ready to withdraw Lumumba if Rwanda did likewise in favour of a unity candidate.

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