The African Union Commission (AUC) announces the launch of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the 29 September 2023 General Elections in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The short-term election observation mission comprises forty (40) observers drawn from various AU Member States including members of Permanent Representatives Committee to the African union, Pan African Parliament, representatives of Election Management Bodies and civil society organisations as well as independent experts, women and youth. The AUEOM is coordinated by His Excellency Ambassador Bankole ADEOYE, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union. The Mission is supported by a team of experts from the AUC and Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).

The objectives of the Mission are to: (a) provide an accurate and impartial assessment of the electoral process, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections; (b) offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings; and (c) demonstrate AU’s solidarity and support towards consolidation of democracy, peace, stability and development in Eswatini.

The Mission draw its mandate from various AU  instruments, most importantly: (a) the 2002 African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions; (b) the 2002 OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa; (c) 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights; (d) the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; and (e) Aspiration No. 3 of the AU Agenda 2063, which aims to ensure an Africa of good governance, democracy and respect for human rights, justice and rule of law, among others. The observation will also rely on the existing legal framework for the organization of elections in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

As part of its observation process in Eswatini, the AUEOM will engage with various stakeholders as well as observe the polling process. Based on the findings, the AU Mission will issue its preliminary statement on the electoral process after the close of polls. This will then be completed by a more comprehensive Final Report after the Elections.