Addis Ababa, 25 July 2017: In response to an invitation from the Government and the Electoral Commission of the Republic of Rwanda, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Moussa Faki Mahamat, has approved the deployment of a short-term African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to observe the upcoming Presidential election in the Republic of Rwanda scheduled for 4 August 2017.

The Mission will be headed by His Excellency Cassam Uteem, former President of the Republic of Mauritius, and will comprised of 40 observers drawn from various African countries and AU institutions. The short-term observer will arrive in Kigali on 27 July 2017 and will remain until the announcement of final results.

Shortly after Election Day, the mission will issue a preliminary statement of its findings at a press conference at Park Inn Hotel in Kigali. A final report, including recommendations for improvement of future electoral processes in Rwanda, will be presented at a later stage, after the completion of the entire electoral process.

The deployment of an election observation mission to Rwanda is in line with the African Union’s mandate of promoting democratic elections on the continent, which is enshrined in the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, and is in accordance with the aspirations and goals of Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration No. 3, which aims to deepen democratic values and practices, build confidence in electoral processes, and ensure capable and accountable institutions and transformative leadership on the continent.

While in Rwanda, the mission will conduct its work in an independent, nonpartisan and professional manner in accordance with applicable national laws and international standards for election observation as set forth in the AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Missions and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

For more information, please contact the Mission Coordinator: Mr. Idrissa Kamara, Political/Election Officer in the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission: Tel no..: +250787320868; Email: kamarai@africa-union.org