Morocco: Rabat Hosts 4th Training Cycle for African Election Observers

The 4th training cycle for African election observers kicked off on Monday in Rabat, bringing together senior officials from 52 African countries.

The opening ceremony was co-chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Mr. Nasser Bourita, and the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Bankole Adeoye.

This annual event, organized in partnership with the AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, is part of Morocco’s commitment—driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI—to a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Africa.

This training aligns with decisions made by the AU’s Conference of Heads of State and Government, including those adopted during the most recent AU Summit in February 2025, which called on the Kingdom of Morocco to continue enhancing African capacities to improve the effectiveness of election observation missions.

The 4th edition saw the participation of more than 120 young civil society actors, experts, and high-ranking officials from all five regions of the continent, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Niger, and Sudan. This session is also marked by significant female participation, with women accounting for 68% of all participants.

By running this specialized training cycle for the fourth year in a row, the Kingdom continues to stand out as Africa’s leading provider of trained election observers to oversee electoral processes across the continent. Conducted in Rabat, the program contributes significantly to strengthening African capacities in the electoral field.

The 2025 edition also features the organization of the 2nd Dialogue-Seminar on Elections and Democracy in Africa, titled “Inclusive Governance: Amplifying Women’s Leadership in African Electoral and Democratic Processes.”

This seminar enriches the training program by addressing topics focused on political dialogue and key issues related to democracy, governance, and electoral processes on the continent.

This 4th edition marks a key milestone in the Rabat-based training process, aimed at equipping the African Union with an important database to serve election observation across Africa and promote democracy, peace, and security throughout the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.