The Democratic Republic of Congo and entered a new diplomatic confrontation Friday as the deadline closed for candidacies to lead the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the global body representing French-speaking nations. The contest has quickly evolved into a broader regional rivalry tied to tensions in eastern Congo according to reuters.

Rwanda’s incumbent Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo is seeking a third term at the head of the OIF, while Kinshasa is backing Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of Congo’s independence leader Patrice Lumumba and a former culture minister. The election battle comes as relations between Kigali and Kinshasa remain strained over the ongoing AFC/M23 conflict in eastern DRC.

The OIF, which brings together 90 states and governments and represents more than 320 million French speakers worldwide, holds influence beyond language and culture. The organization also plays a role in diplomacy, education, governance, and economic cooperation across Francophone regions.

Kinshasa has intensified diplomatic lobbying in recent months, presenting the DRC as a natural candidate to lead the organization because of its demographic weight in the Francophone world. According to Congolese officials, the country’s population of roughly 100 million makes it one of the world’s largest French-speaking nations.

The DRC’s campaign also gained momentum after French President Emmanuel Macron recently stated that the “epicenter” of the French language is now found in the Congo Basin rather than in France itself, a remark widely interpreted as recognition of Africa’s growing importance within La Francophonie as previously cited by XTRAfrica analysis.

Reuters reported that mediation efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union have so far failed to end fighting in eastern Congo, where Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing AFC/M23 rebels amid allegations that Rwanda supports AFC/M23 rebels claims Kigali has repeatedly denied, despite at times acknowledging security concerns and military interests near the Congolese border . The continuing security crisis has added geopolitical significance to what would otherwise be a routine institutional election.

Besides Mushikiwabo and Lumumba, other candidates include Mauritania’s presidential adviser Coumba Ba and former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș.