Macron and World Leaders Attend OIF Summit in Cambodia

President Emmanuel Macron of France arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 14 to attend the three-day biennial summit of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). The event, which includes 90 member states and governments, marks the transfer of the OIF chairmanship from France to Cambodia. Macron's visit includes a trip to the Angkor World Heritage Site with King Norodom Sihamoni to commemorate the restoration of the West Mebon temple.

The summit is marked by a leadership crisis regarding the election of the OIF secretary-general. The Democratic Republic of the Congo threatened to withdraw from the organization if incumbent Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda is reelected, citing Rwanda's alleged support for M23 rebels in eastern Congo. To seek a unifying compromise, the Democratic Republic of the Congo withdrew its candidate, Juliana Lumumba, in favor of former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.

Other high-level delegations are in attendance, including a Vietnamese delegation led by President To Lam. Meanwhile, U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews urged summit delegates to pressure the Cambodian government to release detained rights activists. Macron attends the summit while facing significant domestic unrest in France, where more than 600,000 people recently protested for student rights and higher wages.