AU-COMESA Deploys 93 Observers Ahead of August 13 Election

A joint statement issued to ZNBC News today by the African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) says the two regional bodies have deployed 93 election observers to monitor Zambia’s August 13, 2026 General Election.

The AU-COMESA Election Observation Mission was deployed at the invitation of the Zambian Government and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

The mission is led by former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn Boshe, deputised by Seychelles Ambassador Marie-Pierre Lloyd, a member of the COMESA Committee of Elders.

The 93 short-term observers, drawn from 29 countries, include representatives of election management bodies, civil society, youth organisations, diplomats and experts in elections, human rights, gender and the media.

They will be deployed across all 10 provinces to observe the electoral environment, polling-day proceedings and the immediate post-election period.

The mission will assess the election against Zambia’s legal framework and key continental and international standards governing democratic elections. It will also engage the ECZ political parties, state institutions, civil society, religious leaders, the media, the international community and other observer missions.

The AU-COMESA mission is expected to release its preliminary findings at a press conference in Lusaka on August 15. A final report will follow after the official announcement of the election results.