Addis Ababa, May 29, 2026 (FMC) — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has deployed its Election Observation Mission to Ethiopia ahead of the country’s 7th General Election, as preparations intensify for the nationwide polls scheduled for June 1.
The mission’s arrival in Addis Ababa follows an official invitation extended by the Government of Ethiopia and the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), reflecting ongoing regional engagement in supporting Ethiopia’s electoral process.
The IGAD Election Observation Mission is led by former Ugandan Vice President Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, with former President of Djibouti’s National Assembly Mohamed Ali Houmed serving as Deputy Head of Mission.
The delegation comprises 26 short-term observers drawn from IGAD member states, including representatives of election management bodies, civil society organizations, as well as women and youth groups.
As part of its pre-election engagements, the mission has initiated consultations with key national stakeholders aimed at reinforcing support for peaceful, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections in Ethiopia.
In this context, Head of Mission Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe met with Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adelo in Addis Ababa.
The discussions focused on the human rights context of the electoral process, election monitoring mechanisms, and coordination frameworks for addressing electoral complaints and incidents.
The IGAD delegation also visited the EHRC Situation Room, where they were briefed on the Commission’s election monitoring and rapid response systems designed to track electoral developments and support timely responses during the voting period.
The observers are expected to be deployed across Ethiopia’s regional states, as well as the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations, to monitor key electoral stages, including the opening of polling stations, voting procedures, ballot counting, and closure operations.
IGAD stated that its observation mission will be guided by Ethiopia’s national electoral legal framework, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the IGAD Draft Protocol on Democracy, Governance and Elections, and other relevant international principles governing election observation.
The deployment comes as Ethiopia finalizes preparations for one of Africa’s largest democratic exercises, with more than 50 million registered voters expected to participate nationwide.
The arrival of the IGAD Election Observation Mission is viewed as part of broader regional engagement supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to advance electoral transparency, institutional strengthening, and inclusive democratic participation.