Francophonie: Kinshasa accuses Kigali of hardline election stance
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Mediacongo and Le Potentiel
DR Congo has withdrawn Juliana Amato Lumumba from the race for the OIF secretary generalship and now supports Romanian Dacian Cioloș. The shift, announced in Phnom Penh, aims to promote a compromise among member states amid tensions over the selection process, according to Le Potentiel.
The Congolese decision follows diplomatic consultations with Romania, which led Kinshasa to jointly support Dacian Cioloș, the former Romanian prime minister. The Congolese Foreign Ministry formalised the choice in Phnom Penh, on the sidelines of the 48th ministerial meeting of the Francophonie.
Kinshasa justifies the change by pointing to tensions that emerged during the process and says Juliana Amato Lumumba’s withdrawal does not call into question her abilities or career. The government is calling on the other candidates and the states supporting them to also make concessions in order to promote a collective agreement.
The Congolese authorities are specifically calling for reciprocity in this approach, saying the effort to open up cannot rest solely on DR Congo. This position comes after Kinshasa had already presented its withdrawal as a contribution to the search for a consensual agreement on the succession at the head of the OIF.
