January 15, 2024

A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week.

Moroni, capital of Comoros. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Woodlouse – Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Upcoming Africa Elections

Senegal Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 25, 2024

Katarina Hoije, Bloomberg News (January 12, 2024): Senegal Presidential Hopeful Ousmane Sonko Barred from 2024 Vote

The Africa Report (January 11, 2024): Senegal elections: Candidate cull reveals electoral list irregularities

RFI (January 10, 2024): Senegal’s sponsorship phase for presidential candidates nears completion

Chad Presidential Election: By October 2024 (delays possible)

AFP (January 13, 2024): Chad Military Leader Designated As Presidential Candidate

Ghana General Elections: December 7, 2024

Nana Oye Ankrah, Semafor (January 9, 2024): Ghana’s mystery presidential candidate pulls off his mask

South Africa General Elections: Spring 2024

Reuters (January 13, 2024): Ramaphosa targets ‘decisive’ ANC win in South African elections

Mogomotsi Magome, AP (January 13, 2024): South Africa’s ruling party marks its 112th anniversary ahead of a tough election year

Al Jazeera (January 12, 2024): Ex-ANC chiefs Zuma and Magashule team up ahead of South Africa’s elections: The pair lost their jobs over corruption allegations but recently formed separate parties ahead of voting.

Raffi Berg and Anna Holligan, BBC (January 12, 2024): Israel says South Africa distorting the truth in ICJ genocide case

South Sudan General Elections: December 2024 (delays possible)

Agenzia Fides (January 10, 2024): South Sudan: Elections scheduled for December 2024: Archbishop of Juba expresses confidence

Cote d’Ivoire General Elections: October 2025 (due)

Florence Ricard, The Africa Report (January 11, 2024): Côte d’Ivoire: Will Alassane Ouattara run again in 2025?

Gabon General Elections: August 2025 (suggested – post-coup)

Moki Edwin Kindzeka, Voice of America (January 10, 2024): Demonstrations in Gabon as Regional Blocs Bloc Maintain Sanctions Against Junta

Past Africa Elections

Comoros General Elections: January 14, 2024

Abdou Moustoifa, Reuters (January 14, 2024): Comoros holds presidential election, opposition say vote had irregularities

Africa Center for Strategic Studies (January 11, 2024): Comoros Election Exercise Promises More of the Same

AFP (January 11, 2024): Five Things To Know About The Comoros

Somalia, Presidential Election Puntland: January 8, 2024 (indirect – by parliament)

UNSOM (January 9, 2024): International Partners welcome conclusion of Puntland leadership elections

AFP (January 8, 2024): President of Somalia’s Puntland region re-elected

Democratic Republic of the Congo General Elections: December 20-27, 2023

Julian Pecquet, The Africa Report (January 11, 2024): Democrats pull DRC into 2024 US election fight

Africanews (January 10, 2024): DR Congo: Constitutional court confirms Felix Tshisekedi’s victory in presidential poll

Sierra Leone General Elections: June 24, 2023

Daily Maverick (January 10, 2024): Another military coup in Sierra Leone may be inevitable following botched elections, growing discontent

Regional Analysis

Dan Moyane, Sunday Times South Africa (January 14, 2024): ANC and Frelimo face a reckoning with disenchanted young voters

Human Rights Watch (January 11, 2024): Southern Africa: Backsliding on Democracy Jeopardizes Rights

Wall Street Journal (January 9, 2024): How France Fumbled Its Africa Ties and Fueled a Geopolitical Crisis