The African Union (AU)’s role in elections in Africa is conducted through two interrelated processes. The first is AU’s election observation activities and the other is the Peace and Security Council’s (PSC) agenda on elections in Africa. Between 2021 and 2025, the PSC progressively consolidated its focus on elections, moving beyond episodic observation toward sustained engagement that recognises elections as extended political processes with significant implications for political and institutional stability. This period registered some notable institutional gains, including improved professionalism of AU Election Observation Missions (AUEOMs), support for professionalization of election observation bodies, increased attention to inclusivity of women and youth, and the launch of knowledge-generation initiatives.

These advances (not central to the political factors that shape the conduct of elections), however, were offset by persistent weaknesses, notably the normalisation of minimalist electoral assessments that privilege calm over credibility, inconsistent enforcement of continental norms, most critically Article 25(4) of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) in post-coup contexts and weak follow-up on election observation recommendations and the lack of consistent use of preventive diplomacy. AU’s uneven handling of elections following a) unconstitutional changes of government (UCG), b) constitutional and electoral manipulation and c) cases where electoral and military illegality converged (in Gabon in 2024 and in Guinea Bissau in November 2025) have not only eroded the deterrent value of AU norms and strained the Council’s preventive credibility but also are exposing the AU to charges of being complicit in the increasing perversion of elections in Africa.