The government of Rwanda has decided to back Louise Mushikiwabo for a third term as Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The development was communicated by foreign affairs minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, speaking in an exclusive interview with Jeune Afrique.

The minister noted that the move follows strong support expressed by several OIF member states during the organisation’s ministerial conference held in Kigali last November.

Nduhungirehe added that, in light of Mushikiwabo’s widely recognised record, and following consultations with her, Rwanda decided to resubmit her candidacy at the OIF Summit scheduled for November in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Since taking office in 2019, Mushikiwabo has overseen what the minister described as a profound, structured and coherent transformation of the organisation, strengthening its political credibility, institutional clarity and operational effectiveness.

“We are therefore quite confident in the success of this proposal,” he said.

If re-elected at the November summit, Mushikiwabo would become the second Secretary-General of the OIF to serve three terms, after former Senegalese president Abdou Diouf.

Last year, while in Kigali for the Francophonie Summit, Mushikiwabo addressed questions about a possible third term, saying she would first consult Rwanda’s leadership before making a decision.

“I have been solicited by several countries that have asked me to consider campaigning. I was very touched and honoured by the request of our member states,” she told journalists during a press conference held on the sidelines of the bloc’s two-day summit on November 20 last year.

Mushikiwabo, a seasoned Rwandan diplomat, was re-elected for her second term in November 2022. Each OIF mandate lasts four years and is renewable.

The OIF is an international organisation bringing together states and governments with a shared affiliation to the French language and culture.