Somalia joins IGAD delegation to observe Djibouti presidential election

Tuesday April 7, 2026

Djibouti (AX) — With Djibouti’s presidential vote just days away, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has sent an Election Observation Mission to the country to track the April 10, 2026 poll, the regional organization said Monday.

The delegation was invited by the Djiboutian government and the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), according to an IGAD statement released Tuesday.

The observer team is headed by former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome and includes 17 short-term observers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. It brings together officials from national electoral management bodies, civil society groups and youth organizations.

Observers will be deployed across Djibouti’s regions to watch election-day operations, from the opening of polling stations through voting, closing and the tallying of ballots.

IGAD said its assessment will be based on Djibouti’s electoral legal framework, the bloc’s draft protocol on democracy, governance and elections, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the International Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

While in Djibouti, the mission is scheduled to hold meetings with a range of stakeholders, including officials from the Interior Ministry and CENI, as well as representatives of political parties, the media, civil society, the diplomatic corps and other election observation missions.

IGAD said it will present a preliminary statement at a press conference in Djibouti on April 12. Its final report is expected within one month after the official election results are announced.