Southern Africa: Arrival Statement - African Union - Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa - Inter-Governmental Authority On Development Election Observation Mission to the 15 January 2026 General Elections in the Republic of Uganda

9 January 2026
African Union (Addis Ababa)
press release

The African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announce the arrival in Uganda of the election observation mission (AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM) to the 15 January 2026 General Elections in the Republic of Uganda. This Mission is at the invitation of the Government of Uganda and the Electoral Commission of Uganda.

The AU-COMESA EOM is led by H.E Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Republic of Nigeria and assisted by Amb. Shemsudin Ahmed Roble, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders and Commander Abebe Muluneh Beyene from IGAD. The Mission comprises 84 short-term observers (STOs) drawn from ambassadors accredited to the AU, officials of election management bodies, members of civil society organisations, election experts, human rights specialists, gender and media experts, and representatives of youth organizations.

The observers are drawn from Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The observers will be deployed across all regions of Uganda where they will observe the election day procedures including the opening of polls, voting, closing and the counting processes at the polling stations.

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The AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM will base its assessment on the legal framework governing elections in Uganda and the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections, the standards and obligations stipulated in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the International Declaration of Principles (DoP) for International Election Observation, among others.

The Mission shall interact with state authorities, including, the Electoral Commission of Uganda, political parties, the media, civil society organisations and representatives of the international community based in Uganda and other election observation missions.

The Mission will release a Preliminary Statement of its overall findings and assessment of the conduct of the elections on 17 January 2026 at a press conference in Kampala, Uganda. A final and comprehensive report will be released within one month from the date of the announcement of final election results and will be published.

The Mission's Secretariat is located at the Protea Skyz Hotel, Kampala, Uganda. For more information about the Mission and its activities, please contact:

Mr. Samuel Atuobi, AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM Coordinator I Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department I African Union Commission I Email: Atuobis@africanunion.org

Mr. Richard Atwaru, AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM | Governance, Peace and Security Unit | COMESA Secretariat | Email: RAtwaru@comesa.int

Mr. Moges A. Ali, AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM | Peace and Security Division | IGAD Secretariat | Email: moges.ali@igad.int

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mrs Limi Shash, AU-COMESA-IGAD EOM I Communications Focal person for the Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate of the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department I African Union Commission I Email: shashlm@africanunion.org

Mrs Muzinge Nampito, AU-COMESA EOM | Corporate Communications | COMESA Secretariat | Email: MNampito@comesa.int

Kampala, 9 January 2026

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