As Ethiopia intensifies preparations for its 7th General Election scheduled for 1 June 2026, regional and continental election observation missions are stepping up engagements with key national institutions.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Election Observation Mission (EOM), led by Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, has arrived in Addis Ababa as part of its deployment to assess the electoral process.

The mission is conducting stakeholder consultations aimed at promoting peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections across the country.

As part of these engagements, Dr. Wandira-Kazibwe met with the Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Berhanu Adelo.

Discussions centered on the human rights environment ahead of the polls, election monitoring coordination, and mechanisms for handling electoral complaints and incidents.

The delegation also visited the EHRC Situation Room to review its election monitoring and rapid response systems. The IGAD mission said the visit is part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation with national institutions in support of transparent and well-managed elections.

Ethiopia’s election preparations are also being closely observed by the African Union Election Observation Mission, underscoring growing continental attention to one of Africa’s most significant democratic exercises.