The following communique by the African Union was issued at the end of the voting period for Sudan's general elections.

The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission wishes to commend the people of the Sudan and the Sudanese political parties for peacefully conducting
the just-concluded multiparty general elections, held from 11 to 15 April 2010. These elections constitute a fundamental milestone towards realizing the democratic transformation of The Sudan as espoused by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Indeed, they have thus afforded the majority of the Sudanese citizens to exercise their civic and democratic rights by electing representatives of their choice for the first time in 24 years.

The Chairperson notes that the elections were faced with some administrative and logistical challenges and, in this regard, expresses his appreciation for the efforts that had been deployed by the National Elections Commission to address and resolve them. It was encouraging that such challenges had not impacted negatively on the resolve of the Sudanese people to cast their votes.

The Chairperson reiterates the unwavering support of the AU to the Sudanese people, especially through the mission and work of the African Union High
Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on Sudan. He is confident that the Panel’s efforts will be instrumental in helping the Sudanese stakeholders implement the
remaining key aspects of the CPA and bring about peace, national reconciliation and justice in Darfur.

The Chairperson would like to urge the Sudanese people to continue maintaining calmness, and looks forward to a smooth completion of the electoral process with the announcement of the final results of the elections.