Consideration of the Half-Year Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Elections in Africa for the Period January–June 2026

Consideration of the Half-Year Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Elections in Africa for the Period January–June 2026Date | 21 July 2026

Tomorrow (22 July), the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene a session to consider the half-year report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on elections in Africa, covering the period from January to June 2026.

The session will commence with an opening remark by Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the AU and the Chairperson of the PSC for the month of July. The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye, is expected to present the half-year report. Statements are also expected from representatives of Member States that held elections during the reporting period and from Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) that observed those elections.

The half-year report is presented pursuant to the PSC’s decision at its 424^th session in March 2014 to receive regular updates on elections in Africa. The previous briefing took place at the PSC’s 1327^th session on 26 January 2026 and covered elections held between July and December 2025. In addition to reviewing elections conducted during the first half of 2026, tomorrow’s briefing is expected to provide an overview of elections scheduled for the remainder of the year and highlight broader governance trends, including positive developments and emerging challenges.

Between January and June 2026, six AU Member States held presidential, legislative or general elections: Benin, Uganda, the Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Cabo Verde and Ethiopia. The AU deployed election observation missions to all six countries.

Benin held legislative and local elections on 11 January, followed by presidential elections on 12 April, against the backdrop of an attempted coup in December 2025. The parties aligned with President Patrice Talon secured all parliamentary seats after the principal opposition party, The Democrats, failed to meet the electoral threshold introduced under the new Electoral Code. The same party was subsequently unable to field a presidential candidate after failing to obtain the required parliamentary endorsements, allowing Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, Talon’s endorsed successor, to win decisively, securing 94 per cent of the vote. While the elections were conducted peacefully, opposition parties criticised the electoral framework as limiting political competition. Voter turnout stood at 36.7 per cent in the legislative elections and 58.75 per cent in the presidential poll.

Uganda held general elections on 15 January, with President Yoweri Museveni securing a seventh term in office with 71.65 per cent of the vote. While noting that the elections were conducted in a relatively calmer environment than the 2021 polls, the AU-COMESA-IGAD observation mission expressed concern over reports of ‘harassment, intimidation, and arrests of opposition leaders, candidates, supporters, media and civil society actors, as well as the suspension of NGOs and the internet shutdown.’ Voter turnout, at 52.5 per cent, was the lowest recorded in the country’s electoral history.

The Republic of the Congo held presidential elections on 15 March, with President Denis Sassou Nguesso re-elected to a fifth consecutive term after securing 94.9 per cent of the vote. While the AU observation mission assessed the elections positively, the process was criticised by opposition groups, two of which boycotted the polls, citing an uneven electoral environment. Election day also saw nationwide internet and telephone service disruptions.

Djibouti’s presidential election on 10 April likewise returned the incumbent, President Ismail Omar Guelleh, with 97.8 per cent of the vote. The election followed a constitutional amendment removing the upper age limit for presidential candidates, enabling Guelleh to seek another term. The AU observation mission concluded that the electoral process complied with national, regional and international standards.

Cabo Verde’s parliamentary elections on 17 May once again demonstrated the country’s stable democratic practice. The African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV) defeated the incumbent Movement for Democracy (MpD), leading to a peaceful transfer of executive authority after Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva conceded defeat. Presidential elections are scheduled for later this year, completing the country’s electoral cycle.

Ethiopia held its seventh general election on 1 June. According to the National Election Board of Ethiopia, the ruling Prosperity Party won around 90 per cent of parliamentary seats and more than 80 per cent of regional council seats, with reported voter turnout exceeding 96 per cent. Elections were not conducted in 46 constituencies—38 in Tigray and eight in Amhara— owing to security conditions. The AU observation mission noted that the elections took place amid persistent challenges in parts of the country, particularly in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia, with stakeholders raising concerns over the impact of conflict on political participation, campaigning and voter access.

In addition to reviewing elections held during the first half of the year, the Chairperson’s report is expected to provide an overview of elections scheduled between July and December 2026. Algeria has already held legislative elections on 2 July, with the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) emerging as the largest party after winning 90 of the 407 parliamentary seats. The elections were marked by record-low voter turnout of 21 per cent and controversy surrounding the disqualification of a significant number of prospective candidates.

São Tomé and Príncipe also held its presidential election on 19 July, followed by parliamentary elections at the end of September. Cabo Verde will elect its President later in the year, while Zambia is scheduled to hold general elections on 13 August, with President Hakainde Hichilema seeking a second term. Morocco will elect a new House of Representatives on 23 September. The Gambia’s presidential election is scheduled for 5 December, with President Adama Barrow contesting for re-election. Cameroon is also expected to hold parliamentary and municipal elections later this year following repeated postponements, although an election date has yet to be announced.

Among the remaining electoral processes, South Sudan’s planned general elections, scheduled for 22 December and expected to be the country’s first since independence, are likely to require the closest attention. The elections are expected to take place amid heightened political and security tensions, including the continued detention and prosecution of senior officials of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), among them First Vice President Riek Machar. At its most recent meeting on South Sudan, the PSC requested the Chairperson of the AU Commission to expedite the deployment of a multidimensional technical needs assessment mission. Given the potential implications of the elections for South Sudan’s fragile peace process and regional stability, preventive diplomatic engagement will remain critical. Particular attention may also be required to electoral boundary disputes, including South Sudan’s designation of Abyei as one of its electoral constituencies, with possible implications for relations with Sudan.

Beyond the electoral calendar, the report is expected to identify broader governance trends. One issue that deserves particular attention, as highlighted in Amani Africa’s recent policy brief, is the gradual normalisation of a minimalist approach to electoral assessment. Increasingly, election observation appears to place greater emphasis on the peaceful conduct of polling than on the overall integrity and competitiveness of the electoral process. As a result, elections are frequently characterised as peaceful—and in some instances as free, fair and credible—even where domestic observer groups and opposition actors have documented significant shortcomings in the electoral process. If left unaddressed, this trend risks weakening the credibility of the AU’s electoral assessment framework and diminishing the value of election observation as a tool for promoting democratic governance and conflict prevention. For a more detailed analysis of this emerging trend in AU’s election observation practice, see Amani Africa’s recent policy brief.

The expected outcome is a communiqué. The PSC may adopt the Half-Year Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on elections in Africa covering the period from January to June 2026 and the outlook for elections scheduled during the second half of the year. It may commend Member States that conducted elections during the reporting period and welcome the deployment of election observation missions to all six countries. The PSC may request the Commission to strengthen technical assistance to Member States, within available resources, to support more credible, inclusive and transparent electoral processes and to help ensure that elections are conducted in a conducive environment. It may also emphasise the need to improve the analytical quality of election observation reports and the Chairperson’s half-year report so that their conclusions reflect the realities of electoral processes rather than relying on standardised formulations. While expressing concern over declining voter turnout in some countries, the PSC may encourage Member States to address voter apathy by expanding civic and political space and strengthening civic and voter education. Regarding forthcoming elections, it may request the Commission to continue monitoring developments closely and, where necessary, deploy preventive diplomacy and other conflict prevention measures to help mitigate electoral tensions before, during and after polling.