The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), with the support of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), has facilitated the establishment of ROGEAC – the Network of Electoral Management Bodies in Central Africa. The Constituent Assembly of ROGEAC was held in Bujumbura, Burundi on 29 and 30 May 2025, bringing together electoral management bodies from across the region, including Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad.
This occasion also marks the realization of one of the long-held aspirations of one of the co-founders and first president of the board of directors of ECES, late Abbot Apollinaire Malu Malu: the establishment of a regional network of Electoral Management Bodies in Central Africa. This achievement is made possible with the support of the Pro Electoral Integrity project, which we are implementing to reinforce activities and strengthen partnerships with the African Union aimed at enhancing elections, good governance, and transitional justice, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
ROGEAC now joins the growing family of regional electoral management bodies networks across the continent, contributing to stronger cooperation and peer exchange among electoral institutions. ECES has been committed to this process since the decision to relaunch the network was taken at the 9th Continental Forum of Electoral Management Bodies in Ghana and further advanced during the first technical meeting of ROGEAC, held in Gabon.
ECES will continue to support the network through a wide range of activities, including peer-to-peer exchanges, capacity development, leadership training, conflict prevention, promotion of electoral integrity, and the enhancement of women’s and youth’s participation in electoral processes.
30 May 2025
