During the first half of May, the Association of African Election Authorities held its meeting in Accra, with the technical support of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES).
The meeting had the aim to revive and reestablish the engagement of the 45 Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) following a period of inactivity due to the burst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the meeting aimed at identifying the specific areas of support for each other in upcoming elections in the members' countries, getting approval for its strategic plan and revitalising the association.
Founded in 1996 the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), is an association with the objective of gathering, challenging, and supporting Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in order for them to administer free and fair elections in their respective countries.
Participants included ECES’ Founder and Executive Director Fabio Bargiacchi, ECES Senior Governance Advisor Hamza Fassi-Fhiri and ECES Project and Communication Officer Alessio Beltrami, as well as Amb Calixte Mbari, Ag. Director, Governance and Conflict Prevention, African Union; Mr Robert Gerenge, Principal Advisor for Election Management Bodies within the Department of Political Affairs, African Union Commission; Mrs Jean Mensa, President of the Executive Committee and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana; Right Rev. Calros Simao Matshine, Executive Committee Vice-President and Chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Mozambique; Mr Wafula Chebukati, General Assembly President, Chairman of the Independent Election Boundaries Commission in Kenya; Mr Ba Amadou, General Assembly Vice-President and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mali. In addition, also some regional representatives were present: for West Africa Mr. Doudou Ndir, Chairman, Autonomous National Electoral Commission of Senegal, for Southern Africa Justice Dr Chifundo Kachale, Chairperson, Malawi Electoral Commission, for Central Africa Dr Morouba Mathias Barthelemy, Chairperson, Independent Electoral Commission of the Central African Republic.
The next General Assembly will be held in Maputo around November 2022.