The government of DR Congo has said it is willing to withdraw its candidate, Juliana Amato Lumumba, from the race for Secretary-General of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), in favour of a possible consensus around Romania's Dacian Cioloș. ALSO READ: Who gets to choose the next Francophonie Secretary-General? The position was announced in a statement released by the Congolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Francophonie and Congolese Diaspora on Saturday, November 14, on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Francophonie Ministerial Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The ministry said the move followed consultations with Romania, adding that the two countries were considering a joint approach in support of Cioloș, who was presented by Bucharest. ALSO READ: PM rallies support for Mushikiwabo’s third term at OIF The proposed move comes ahead of the election of the next OIF secretary-general, scheduled for November 16 during the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh. This week, Rwanda's foreign affairs minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said African countries supporting a non-African candidate in the OIF race would be going against the African Union's position. In July, the AU endorsed all three African candidates, and therefore, he pointed out that backing a candidate from outside the continent would defy the continental body's recommendation. The current race features four candidates: incumbent Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda, who is seeking a third term after taking office in 2018; Juliana Amato Lumumba of the DRC; former Mauritanian minister Coumba Bâ; and former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș. The OIF brings together 90 member states and governments, but only its 53 full members are entitled to vote in the election of the secretary-general. Associate members and observers do not take part in the vote. The secretary-general is elected by heads of state and government, or their representatives, during a closed session of the Francophonie Summit. The selection process first seeks consensus among member states, with a vote used if members fail to agree on a candidate. The next secretary-general will serve a four-year term covering 2027 to 2030. The election is scheduled for November 16 during the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
