The African Union (AU) announces the arrival in Ethiopia of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) for the 1 June 2026 Elections in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The Mission is deployed at the invitation of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The AUEOM is led by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of the Republic of Kenya. The Mission comprises 73 Short-Term Observers (STOs), 61% of whom are women, drawn from 37 African countries, including ambassadors accredited to the African Union, officials of election management bodies, members of civil society organisations, election experts, human rights specialists, gender and media experts, and representatives of youth organisations.

The observers will be deployed across various regions of Ethiopia to observe election-day procedures, including the opening of polls, voting, closing, and counting and tabulation at polling stations.

The AUEOM will base its assessment on the legal framework governing elections in Ethiopia, the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and other relevant regional and international instruments and standards for democratic elections.

The Mission shall engage with state authorities, including the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, the media, representatives of the international community based in Ethiopia, and other election observation missions.

The Mission will release a Preliminary Statement on its findings and assessment of the conduct of the elections at a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 3 June 2026. A final and comprehensive report will be published within two months after the elections.

The Secretariat of the Mission is based at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For more information about the Mission and its activities, please contact:

Mr. Samuel Atuobi, AUEOM Coordinator I Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department I African Union Commission I Email: Atuobis@africanunion.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

Mr. Paschal Chem-Langhee I Communication Officer, Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) I African Union Commission I Email: Chem-LangheeP@AfricanUnion.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
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