Minister Nduhungirehe commands Louise Mushikiwabo for good plans and ambitions at OIF
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Amb Olivier Nduhungirehe, has commended the leadership of Louise Mushikiwabo, the Secretary-General of the Francophonie, for the significant changes she has brought to the organization during her two terms as its head.
Minister Nduhungirehe made the remarks after attending the first-ever hearing of the candidates for the position of Secretary-General of the Francophonie.
The event, which took place in Paris on Tuesday, June 30, is considered a milestone in the process of competing for the position of Secretary-General of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), where four candidates competing for the position were heard by the 47th Extraordinary Council of Ministers of the organization (CMF).
Minister Nduhungirehe, in a message posted on his X website, said: “Each candidate was given 20 minutes to present his experience and vision for the OIF, followed by 35 minutes to answer questions from ministers. This is a first in the history of the organization, and was made possible by the changes in the governance of the OIF initiated by the current Secretary General, Louise Mushikiwabo.” He continued by saying that 49 representatives, including 23 ministers, attended the meeting. Among them were the foreign ministers of the four candidate countries, Mauritania, Romania and Rwanda, who participated in person, while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) participated via videoconference.
Minister Nduhungirehe said that during the event, two important things were evident, including the good atmosphere between the candidates and the fact that among all these candidates, three women are of African origin while one man is of European origin.
He said that they presented their plans in a constructive manner, saying: “there was no confrontation or verbal altercation. They also showed camaraderie at the event hosted by the President of the CMF, which took place in a spirit of mutual respect.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Olivier Nduhungirehe said that among other things, there was a difference in the experience of the candidates, especially Louise Mushikiwabo.
He said: “Although all the candidates showed enthusiasm and vision, there was a difference between the experience, skills and in-depth knowledge of the functioning of the OIF of Louise Mushikiwabo, and her other opponents. This does not, however, detract from the fact that each candidate demonstrated a good intention to develop this organization.” The actual elections for the position of the OIF Secretariat General, scheduled for the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Francophonie, will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 15–16 November 2026. The final decision on who should lead the OIF Secretariat General will be made there, based on the decisions of the ministers