COMMUNIQUÉ
Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1355th meeting held on Wednesday, 22 July 2026 on Consideration of the Report of the African Union Commission Chairperson on Elections in Africa for the period January to June 2026.
The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG); the OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections and the Guidelines for AU Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions;
Referring to the AU Constitutive Act and Article 3 (f) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the PSC; as well as all previous decisions and pronouncements on elections in Africa, in particular, Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1327 (2026)] adopted at its 1327th meeting held on 26 January 2026;
Emphasizing the importance of regular, transparent, inclusive, and credible democratic elections in the promotion and maintenance of peace, security and stability in Member States;
Reiterating the AU Zero tolerance policy on unconstitutional changes of government;
Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E. Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the AU and PSC Chairperson for July 2026 and the Presentation by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, of the Report of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Elections in Africa for the period January to June 2026;
Also taking note of the statements delivered by the representatives of the Member States that organized elections or referenda during the reporting period, namely: the Republic of Benin, the Republic of Cape Verde, the Republic of Congo; the Republic of Djibouti, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; and the Republic of Uganda; and