Africa: Who Gets to Choose the Next Francophonie Secretary-General?

What the report says

The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) is set to choose its next secretary-general during the Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 15-16, with the election itself scheduled for November 16, according to the New Times article distributed by AllAfrica. The report says the organisation has 90 member states and governments overall, but only 53 full members are eligible to vote. Associate members and observers may participate in some OIF activities, but they do not have voting rights in the leadership contest.

Four candidates are in the race: incumbent secretary-general Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, Juliana Amato Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Coumba Bâ of Mauritania, and Dacian Cioloș of Romania. The article explains that full members may nominate candidates and later hear their presentations at ministerial-level hearings, which were held in June. The current process followed reforms adopted in 2022.

If the summit cannot settle on a candidate by consensus, the post is decided by a vote among representatives of the full members present and voting, with a simple majority determining the winner. The secretary-general heads the OIF, serves as its legal representative and oversees political coordination and cooperation work. The organisation’s mandate goes beyond language promotion and includes education, cultural diversity, peace, democracy, economic cooperation, sustainable development and international relations.