A. INTRODUCTION
At the invitation of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), an independent African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) was deployed in Tanzania and Zanzibar from 14 October to 3 November 2025, to observe the 29 October 2025 General Elections. The Mission was led by H.E. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, former President of the Republic of Botswana, and supported by H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It comprised 72 observers drawn from ambassadors accredited to the AU, Members of the Pan African Parliament, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), gender, youth, media experts, and elections experts from 31 African countries.[1]
As part of the mandate to promote and strengthen democracy and good governance across the continent, the AUEOM was guided by relevant AU instruments, including the 2000 Constitutive Act of the Union, the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, the 2002 AU Guidelines for Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions, and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. The Mission also evaluated the elections in line with international and regional standards for democratic elections, such as the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), the 1976 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the 2005 Declaration of Principles on International Election Observation, and Tanzania’s legal framework for the conduct of elections.
The objectives of the AUEOM were to: (a) assess whether the 2025 electoral process complies with AU principles, normative frameworks and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as Tanzania’s national legal framework; (b) ascertain that the environment was peaceful for conducting democratic elections that will foster acceptance of the electoral outcomes; (c) evaluate the level of preparedness of the electoral commission and other electoral institutions; (d) provide recommendations for improving future elections and (e) demonstrate the AU’s solidarity and support for Tanzania’s democratic and electoral processes to ensure that the conduct of genuine elections contributes to the consolidation of peace and stability, and promotes inclusive development in the country.
The arrival of the AUEOM was preceded by a Pre-Election Assessment Mission, deployed by the African Union Commission from 11 to 21 June 2025, to assess the preparations for the elections.
Before the election day on 29 October, the AUEOM met with selected electoral stakeholders, including the INEC, the Zanzibar Election Commission (ZEC), government representatives, political parties, CSOs, the media, citizen observer networks, academia, and representatives of the international community. Through these consultations, the Mission gathered diverse perspectives on the level of preparations. It is worth noting that the AUEOM was unable to meet with some stakeholders due to restrictions imposed by the Government of Tanzania.
From 26 October, the Mission deployed 28 teams of 72 observers to 17 regions to observe the remaining campaign period, early voting in Zanzibar, and Election Day (including opening, voting, closing, and counting).
This preliminary statement is based on the assessment of the pre-election period and Election Day activities. The AUEOM was unable to complete election day observations at some polling stations due to outbreaks of deadly protests and the subsequent six-day internet shutdown.
To enhance future electoral processes in Tanzania, the Mission will publish detailed findings, recommendations and key lessons, two months after the official declaration of the elections’ results.
[1]Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo Republic, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Egypt, Eswatini, Guinea Bisau, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Seychelles, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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