The African Union Commission officially announces the arrival of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) for the 29 October 2025 General Elections (Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council) in the United Republic of Tanzania. The Mission is deployed following the invitation of the Government of Tanzania and the Independent National Electoral Commission of Tanzania. It will be led by H.E. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, former President of the Republic of Botswana, supported by H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Mission comprises of 72 observers from 31[1] African countries and is being deployed from 20 October to 3 November 2025.

The arrival of the Mission was preceded by a Pre-Election Assessment Mission undertaken from 11 – 21 June 2025 to assess the state of preparedness for Tanzania to hold elections.  Thereafter, the African Union continued to follow developments related to the electoral process.  The Mission’s technical support team arrived on 14 October and will remain in the country until 5 November 2025.

The Mission consists of observers including ambassadors accredited to the African Union, members of the Pan African Parliament, officials of election management bodies, members of African civil society organisations, African election experts, human rights specialists, academics, gender and media experts, and representatives of women and youth organizations.

The AUEOM will assess elections in the United Republic of Tanzania based on the country’s legal framework governing elections and OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the standards and obligations stipulated in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the International Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation among other instruments.

The observers will be deployed across regions in the United Republic of Tanzania to observe election campaigns, final preparations for the elections, election day procedures including the opening of polls, voting, closing and the counting processes at the polling stations. The AUEOM will also observe the results management process and post elections developments.

As part of its election observation methodology, the Mission will engage with state authorities, election management bodies, political parties, the media, civil society organisations and representatives of the diplomatic and international community. The Mission will also interact with other election observation missions deployed to observe the 2025 General Elections in the country.

A Preliminary Statement outlining initial findings and recommendations from the AUEOM will be issued on 30 October 2025.  A final and comprehensive election observation report will be released within two months from the date of announcement of final election results.

The Mission’s Secretariat shall be located at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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

Mr. Samuel Atuobi | AUEOM Coordinator| Email: Atuobis@africaunion.org.

For media, enquiries, please contact:

Limi Mohamed Shash | Communications Officer AUEOM Tanzania | Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department | African Union Commission | Email: shashlm@africanunion.org

Dar Es Salaam, Monday, 20 October 2025

    

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