Dr. Nsengiyumva made the appeal on Monday, September 21, 2026, during a cocktail reception in New York held in honour of Mushikiwabo on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Addressing ministers, permanent representatives and other guests, the Prime Minister said the gathering was an opportunity to further support a candidacy that is particularly important to Rwanda.
'Eight years later, her record speaks for itself,' Dr. Nsengiyumva said, referring to Mushikiwabo's tenure at the helm of the OIF.
He said that under her leadership, the organisation had been modernised and undertaken major institutional, administrative and financial reforms.
Dr. Nsengiyumva also highlighted her focus on areas where he said the OIF can bring added value to its members, including youth, women's empowerment, education, digitalisation, the economy and culture.
He further credited Mushikiwabo with strengthening the political dimension of the Francophonie and its role as a space for dialogue, solidarity and consultation in an increasingly fragmented world.
The Prime Minister said the OIF should continue building on these achievements and remain an organisation that responds to the priorities of all its members.
'Together we must work towards an Organisation useful to all its members, attentive to their priorities and capable of adapting to the realities of our time,' he said.
Mushikiwabo has led the OIF since January 2019, after being elected Secretary General in 2018. She was re-elected for a second term in 2022 in Djerba, Tunisia.
During her tenure, the OIF says it has mobilised €336 million since 2019, with 97% of its activities implemented.
Its women's economic empowerment initiative, La Francophonie avec Elles, has reached nearly 100,000 women through 354 projects in 36 countries, while the organisation's D-CLIC programme aims to increase the number of young people receiving digital skills training from 20,000 to 100,000.
In education, the OIF's ELAN programme has reached 12 million students, using 46 African languages and working with about 230,000 teachers to promote early learning in mother tongues before children transition to French.
With her second term approaching its end, Rwanda has put forward her candidacy for a third mandate, with Dr. Nsengiyumva saying the decision was taken with the full support of President Paul Kagame.
He said Mushikiwabo has the experience, knowledge of the organisation and energy required to continue advancing the Francophonie.
'We are convinced that Louise Mushikiwabo possesses the experience, the knowledge of the Organisation and the energy necessary to continue to make the Francophonie evolve in the service of all its members,' he said.
Dr. Nsengiyumva urged those attending the reception to support her candidacy and expressed hope that they would attend the next Francophonie Summit in Cambodia in November.
He also used the occasion to thank Mushikiwabo for her work during her tenure.
