The 5th edition of the AU observer training course took place from 20 to 24 April 2026 in Rabat, Morocco. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, and Bankolé Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union, co-chaired the opening ceremony of this annual event. This partnership with the AU illustrates Morocco’s commitment to a stable and peaceful Africa. The programme trains experts from the five sub-regions of the African continent. The aim is to strengthen the continent’s pool of qualified election observers. Over the past five years, the Kingdom has helped to build the expertise of nearly 400 observers. Morocco has thus established itself as a pillar of transparency and electoral sovereignty in Africa.
On the occasion of the opening of the 5th training cycle for African Union electoral observers, the Kingdom of Morocco has taken a new step in its commitment to continental stability. With the creation in 2022 of the “Rabat Network of African Observers”, Morocco has established itself as a leading partner in strengthening democratic capacities across Africa. In five years, nearly 400 experts from the 53 member states of the African Union have been trained in the Moroccan capital.
“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen. The progress achieved over the past five years is encouraging. Nearly four hundred observers trained in Rabat, coming from fifty-three countries across the continent and representing the five African sub-regions. Among them, sixty-five per cent are women and eighty-five per cent are young people. Two vital forces shaping the future of our continent. But while the figures are significant, they tell only part of the story. The essential point lies in the concrete impact, as more than ninety-five per cent of these observers have already been deployed in the field, contributing to the qualitative success of dozens of African Union observation missions.”
Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs – Morocco
The effectiveness of this programme is demonstrated by the facts: around 95% of beneficiaries have already been deployed in the field during observation missions conducted by the African Union, thereby helping to guarantee the transparency and credibility of elections. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union, praised this commitment.
“This is a good thing for me because Morocco has really taken the initiative with this training. This is my second time taking part; the aim is to train observers who will be deployed to monitor elections in Africa. So now we’ll be able to rely on our own observers, who will enable us to properly validate our elections and ensure they are validated. At the end of this training, I believe it will help ensure good electoral governance. As soon as elections are properly observed, it lends credibility to the elections and ensures good results.”
Oumar Kanouté, Election expert – Mali
“This is an opportunity to commend the Kingdom of Morocco for taking the initiative to co-organise this with the African Union. I believe that elections are often times of protest and heightened political passions, and that consequently, by training these electoral experts from across the continent here, following a continental model based on universal principles, In this regard, African experts are becoming increasingly independent; they possess proven capabilities and thus contribute to the consolidation of democracy, as well as to the credibility and transparency of elections.”
Oumar Ba, Electoral expert and trainer for the African Union – Senegal
Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union (AU), welcomed this commitment.
“This special training session for electoral observers marks fifteen years of existence. As you have pointed out, Your Excellency, it reflects a remarkable commitment to the very essence of governance and democracy in Africa. Five years ago, when we embarked on this journey, our ambition was to bridge the gap between democratic ideals and the reality of electoral processes.”
Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the AU – Nigeria
This training cycle strengthens Africa’s pool of qualified electoral experts, ready to be deployed across the continent. By establishing itself as a major training hub, Morocco is actively supporting the supervision of elections in Africa. The 5th edition, concluded on 24 April 2026, brought together 90 delegates with strong participation from women (65%) and young people (85%).
