Archives July 2024

COMMUNIQUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION AND ELECTORAL MISSIONS TO THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA GENERAL ELECTION OF JULY 2024

1. UPON the invitation of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Rwanda, the Election Observation Missions of the East African Community (EAC); the African Union (AU) jointly with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the electoral mission of the International Organisation of la Francophonie (OIF) observed the General Election of Rwanda of July 2024.
2. RECOGNISING the commitment of the people of the Republic of Rwanda to build a State based on consensual and pluralistic democracy founded on power sharing, national unity and reconciliation, good governance, development, social justice, tolerance and resolution of problems through dialogue;
3. MINDFUL that the political and electoral system of Rwanda is designed to fulfill this commitment and having acquainted ourselves with the prevailing political and electoral environment and the context within which the people of Rwanda are exercising their democratic right to vote for their leaders; and
4. HAVING interacted with various key stakeholders involved in the electoral process and witnessed the campaigns, voting, counting and tallying;
5. OBSERVE that:

• the electoral, political and security environment in the Republic of Rwanda before,during and immediately after the elections has been calm and peaceful;
• the National Electoral Commission and other institutions responsible for managingthe electoral process have so far discharged their duty diligently in accordance with the electoral calendar.

7. COMMEND the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and the National Electoral Commission for successfully organizing and managing the electoral process thus far.
8. CONGRATULATE the people of Rwanda for exercising their democratic right to choose their leaders in a calm and peaceful manner.

Done in Kigali this 17^th day of July, 2024.

Click on the links below to download the statements.

• Final- AU COMESA EOM Preliminary Statement in Full
• English Joint Communique of Election Observer Missions in Rwanda
• FRENCH Joint Communique of Election Observer Missions in Rwanda FINAL

Voting has opened smoothly in most polling stations in Rwanda as the country goes to the polls today Monday 15 July 2024. Observers from the Joint African Union-COMESA Team have been deployed across the country and witnessed the opening process. People have turned out to cast their vote in the 2024 Generals Elections of Rwanda. The country has 9.7million registered voters and over 2, 400 polling stations.

The Joint AU-COMESA Election Observation Mission (AUCOMESAEOM) has deployed 48 short term observers who include representatives from election management bodies, members of African civil society organisations, African election experts, gender and media experts.

The AU-COMESA EOM is led by H.E. Jorge Carlos De Almedia Fonseca, former President of Cabo Verde and deputised by Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, former Prime Minister of Uganda. He is also a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders. The Mission is expected to issue their preliminary statement containing initial findings and recommendations on the conduct of the elections in Kigali on Wednesday 17 July 2024.

The observers are drawn from Benin, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.