Freetown, 3 March 2018 – His Excellency Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe, Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa has arrived in Sierra Leone as Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM). Mr. Motlanthe was received upon his arrival by Madam Aminata Kallay the Honorary Consul of South Africa to Sierra Leone as well as by high official from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone.
Being present in Sierra Leone since February 10, 2018, the AUEOM will observe and assess the March 7th General Elections with a view to contributing to the peacefulness, transparency and integrity of these elections.

The AUEOM is in the country at the invitation of the Government of Sierra Leone and the National Elections Commission (NEC).

The short-term observer (STO) delegation will remain in Sierra Leone until March 11, 2018, while the long- term Observers (LTO) and Core Team will stay in the country until March 21, 2018 to follow the management and proclamation of the election results.
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The leadership of the AUEOM is holding high level courtesy and consultative meetings with national stakeholders and the leadership of peer International Election Observation Missions present in Sierra Leone. Yesterday he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of National Electoral Commission (NEC) & Chairperson, Mr. Mohamed M.N Conteh and discussed NEC preparations for the upcoming elections. Officials in NEC briefed His Excellency Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe about the political context in the country and different Acts governing the work of NEC.

The AU Election Observation Mission commenced a three-day technical briefing programme for its Short-term Observers in Freetown. The purpose of the technical briefing was to provide key information on the political context of the 2018 elections and the state of preparedness of NEC and other national stakeholders, as well as familiarization with AU election observation methodology, including the use of technology to gather and analyze data.

AU Short Term observers were deployed on 26 February to cover as many districts of the 16 districts in Sierra Leone. They will observe the end of campaign and preparations for Election Day in their areas of deployment. After Election Day, the STOs will debrief on their findings on March 8 upon their return from the counties.

The AUEOM will release a statement on its preliminary findings on the conduct of the 2018 elections at a press conference. The venue and the time for the Press Conference will be communicated in due course.

The deployment of AUEOM to Sierra Leone is in line with the AU’s mandate of promoting and deepening democracy on the continent, as enshrined in relevant instruments of the continental body. It is also in line with the third aspiration of the AU Agenda 2063, which aims to ensure good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights, justice and rule of law on the continent. The conduct of transparent and credible elections in Member States, which AUEOMs aim to ensure, is a prerequisite to the realization of the aspirations of Agenda 2063, and the overall goal of ensuring an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa.

The STO delegation comprises members from the African Union Permanent Representatives Council (PRC), Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), African Election Management Bodies, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Independent Experts from Thinks Tanks, Academic Institutions, etc.

For more information, contact: Mr. Samuel Atuobi, Senior Political/Elections Officer, Department of Political Affairs, African Union Commission (AtuobiS@africa-union.org).

For interview requests, kindly contact the members of the AUEOM media contact:

Mr. Gamal Ahmed A. Karrar| Directorate of Information and Communication| African Union Commission| E-mail: Gamalk@africa-union.org |
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