Macron presses Kigali to withdraw Mushikiwabo’s Francophonie bid
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on France 24, Le Potentiel and Punch
Emmanuel Macron wants Kigali to drop Louise Mushikiwabo’s candidacy for the leadership of the Francophonie, in favour of a compromise before Monday’s vote. Rwanda refuses and maintains its candidate, while Kinshasa says it is ready to withdraw its own if Kigali does the same.
Macron presses Kigali to withdraw Mushikiwabo’s Francophonie bid
According to France 24, the French president asked Kigali to withdraw Louise Mushikiwabo’s candidacy, in the hope of building a consensus around former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș before Monday’s vote. The request was reportedly put in writing and sent to Paul Kagame on the night of 12 to 13 November, and Paris is seeking to avoid a ballot that would further weaken the organisation.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, rejected this request and recalled that the OIF’s rules provide, in the event of failed negotiations, for a designation by simple majority among the countries present and voting. Louise Mushikiwabo also considers that a vote remains possible. Three candidacies are in the running: those of Louise Mushikiwabo for Rwanda, Juliana Amato Lumumba for the DR Congo and Coumba Bâ for Mauritania.
For its part, the DR Congo is ready to negotiate. In a communiqué published on Saturday, the Congolese government referred to the withdrawal of Juliana Amato Lumumba in favour of Dacian Cioloș, on condition that the other contenders do likewise, but this is not yet an official withdrawal. Its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, said in Phnom Penh that Kinshasa could withdraw its candidate if a consensus emerged. Kinshasa also accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 armed group, which Rwanda denies, and could leave the Francophone process if the Rwandan candidacy is renewed.
The vote is scheduled for Monday 16 November in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, where heads of state and government will designate the next secretary-general behind closed doors. The summit opens on Sunday.
