The African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have deployed an election observation mission (EOM)to Uganda ahead of the Jan. 15 general elections.
- •The mission, at the invitation of the Ugandan government and Electoral Commission, is led by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and assisted by Amb. Shemsudin Ahmed Roble of COMESA and Commander Abebe Muluneh Beyene of IGAD.
- •It comprises 84 short-term observers drawn from African countries including Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania, among others.
- •Prominent opposition leader Kizza Besigye remains in detention on charges described by OHCHR as questionable, following his abduction from Kenya in November 2024.
Observers will monitor election-day processes across Uganda, including the opening of polls, voting, closing, and counting, assessing compliance with Uganda’s legal framework, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and international election observation standards. The mission will interact with state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media, and other international observers. A preliminary report is expected on Jan. 17, with a full assessment released within a month of the official results.
The deployment comes amid growing human rights concerns in Uganda. A recent report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlighted a crackdown on opposition figures, journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society ahead of the elections. The report cites arrests, raids on opposition offices, confiscation of property, suspension of radio stations, and use of live ammunition to disperse peaceful assemblies.
