The next Secretary General of the Francophonie is expected to be confirmed during the 20th OIF Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, within the next ten months.

According to Jeune Afrique, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed the decision while speaking on broader regional issues, including security challenges in the Great Lakes region.

Mushikiwabo’s current second term comes to an end this year, prompting the launch of the candidacy process, which is expected to remain open until the end of April. She was re-elected unopposed in 2022, having first taken office in 2018.

If re-elected in November this year, Mushikiwabo would become only the second Secretary General in OIF history to serve three terms, following former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf.

Born on May 22, 1961, Louise Mushikiwabo is the fourth Secretary General of the OIF. Before assuming the role, she served as Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2009 to 2018. She also previously held positions as Government Spokesperson and Minister of Information.

Mushikiwabo was first elected OIF Secretary General on October 12, 2018, during the Francophonie Summit held in Yerevan, Armenia, and was re-elected for a second term in November 2022.