DRC pushes OIF bid to expand Africa’s voice

Juliana Lumumba’s bid for the top job at La Francophonie is now being framed by Kinshasa as more than a national campaign, after President Félix Tshisekedi urged Francophone ambassadors in the DRC to support her candidacy for secretary-general of the OIF during a meeting in Kinshasa on Thursday, according to MediaCongo. The appeal places the race within a wider regional contest over influence inside one of the world’s main French-speaking institutions.

In presenting Lumumba, Tshisekedi argued that the OIF should play a stronger political and human role on issues such as sovereignty, peace, youth and innovation.

That message aligns with the DRC’s earlier formal nomination of Juliana Amato Lumumba, announced in late February, as Kinshasa seeks to project itself as a leading Francophone power from Africa.

The broader stakes are significant. The OIF confirms that its secretary-general is elected by heads of state and government at the Francophonie Summit, and the next summit is scheduled to take place in Cambodia in 2026.

The current officeholder, Louise Mushikiwabo, was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, meaning this year’s contest is unfolding against an already established leadership backdrop and a sensitive regional context.

For the DRC, the campaign is therefore not just about winning a senior multilateral post. It is also a test of whether Kinshasa can convert its demographic and political weight in the Francophone world into institutional influence at a moment when African representation, regional rivalries and the future direction of the OIF are all under sharper scrutiny.