Rwanda has announced that it will support the candidacy of Louise Mushikiwabo for a third term as Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), ahead of the organisation’s next summit scheduled for November in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The announcement comes as Mushikiwabo’s second mandate, which began in 2019, approaches its conclusion and the deadline for submitting candidatures draws near.
If re-elected, she would become only the second Secretary-General in the history of the OIF to serve three terms, after former Senegalese president Abdou Diouf.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told Jeune Afrique in an interview that the decision followed consultations with Mushikiwabo and was based on her record in office.
He noted that during the most recent OIF ministerial conference, held in Kigali in November, several member states expressed their wish for her to seek another term.
According to Nduhungirehe, Mushikiwabo’s leadership since 2019 has been marked by a structured and far-reaching transformation of the organisation.
He said reforms undertaken during her tenure have strengthened the OIF’s political credibility, clarified its institutional direction, and improved its operational effectiveness.
The Rwandan government maintains that its support is grounded in what it describes as a documented and measurable record, widely recognised by member states.
Kigali points to praise expressed at recent Francophonie summits, including those held in Djerba and Villers-Cotterêts, as evidence of broad confidence in her leadership.
Addressing the possibility of opposition from some member states, given ongoing regional tensions in the Great Lakes region, Nduhungirehe said the OIF’s rules allow any member state to present a candidate and that Rwanda is not opposed to an open, fair, and respectful contest.
He stressed, however, that Rwanda’s position is based on Mushikiwabo’s performance rather than political considerations.
The OIF brings together 88 member states and governments from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific.
Its twentieth summit is expected to confirm the next Secretary-General and outline the organisation’s strategic priorities for the coming years.
