The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) has arrived in South Africa to observe the upcoming General Elections on May 29, 2024. Invited by the South African Government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the AUEOM’s deployment was approved by H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Led by H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya, the mission includes 60 short-term observers (STOs). These observers come from 24 countries, including Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The team is composed of ambassadors accredited to the African Union, officials from election management bodies, members of African civil society organizations, election experts, human rights specialists, gender and media experts, and youth representatives.
The AUEOM will evaluate the election based on South Africa’s legal framework, the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the International Declaration of Principles (DoP) for International Election Observation.
The mission will engage with state authorities, the IEC, political parties, media, civil society organizations, and representatives of the international community. They will also coordinate with other election observation missions present in South Africa.
On May 31, 2024, the mission will present its preliminary findings and recommendations in a press conference in Johannesburg. A comprehensive final report will be released within two months after the final election results are announced and will be available on the AU Commission website.
The AUEOM Secretariat is located at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, South Africa.
