IGAD Election Observation Mission Arrives in Ethiopia Ahead of 7th General Election

Addis Ababa, May 27, 2026 —The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has announced the deployment of its Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Ethiopia ahead of the country’s 7th General Election, scheduled for 1^st June 2026.

In it press statement sent to ENA, the regional bloc said the mission was deployed at the invitation of the Government of Ethiopia and the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), underscoring ongoing regional engagement in supporting democratic and electoral processes across the Horn of Africa.

The IGAD mission is led by former Vice President of Uganda, Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe and former President of the National Assembly of Djibouti, deputized by Mohamed Ali Houmed.

The delegation comprises 26 short-term observers drawn from IGAD member states, including representatives from election management bodies, civil society organizations, and women’s and youth groups.

According to IGAD, observers will be deployed across several regional states, as well as the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations, where they will monitor key stages of the electoral process on polling day, including the opening of polling stations, voting procedures, ballot counting, and the closing of polls.

The mission said its assessment will be guided by Ethiopia’s electoral laws and regional and international democratic frameworks, including the IGAD Draft Protocol on Democracy, Governance and Elections, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

As part of its mandate, the delegation is expected to engage a broad range of electoral stakeholders, including the National Electoral Board, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, security institutions, political parties, civil society groups, media representatives, and both domestic and international observer organizations.

IGAD stated that the mission will issue a preliminary assessment of the conduct of the election during a press conference scheduled for 3 June 2026 at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa.

 A comprehensive final report will follow after the official announcement of the election results by NEBE.

The deployment comes as Ethiopia draws heightened regional and international attention over its democratic transition, electoral inclusiveness, and political stability, with observers viewing the election as an important test of institutional credibility and democratic governance in Africa’s second-most populous nation.