Mauritania has officially announced the candidacy of its representative to take the helm of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). At 56, Coumba Bâ, advisor to President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and special envoy to the institution, is engaging in a high-stakes diplomatic competition. The outcome of this race will be known in November 2026, during the Francophonie Summit scheduled in Phnom Penh. But the Mauritanian candidate is not alone in the running. Rwandan Louise Mushikiwabo, the outgoing Secretary General, is aiming for a third term, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has also expressed interest in the position.
Beyond a simple candidacy, Nouakchott highlights a unique profile: that of a woman of influence, well-versed in the subtleties of multilateral diplomacy and African balances. Close to the heart of power, with a keen understanding of regional and international relations, she embodies a generation of strategic leaders trained in handling sensitive issues.
A woman from the inner circle who has become a figure of state, Coumba Bâ has gradually established herself as a central link between the Mauritanian presidency and major international institutions. Her trajectory demonstrates an ability to combine institutional loyalty, political acumen, and diplomatic credibility.
Through this candidacy, Mauritania also seeks to strengthen its visibility on the francophone stage and to have more weight in the major cultural, political, and linguistic arbitrations of the francophone bloc. If elected, Coumba Bâ could embody a new phase for the OIF: more African in its governance, more attentive to youth, cultural sovereignty, and development issues, and more anchored in contemporary geopolitical realities.
More than a personal gamble, her candidacy is part of a national and continental ambition: to actively participate in the renewal of La Francophonie in the 21st century.
