An EU Election Exploratory Mission (EU ExM) arrived in The Gambia yesterday to assess the country’s pre-electoral environment ahead of the 2026 presidential poll. The mission's purpose is specifically to assess the country’s pre-electoral environment in detail. The mission will evaluate whether a full European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) is necessary, feasible, and advisable for the upcoming election. Specifically, the mission will advise whether a full European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the 2026 presidential poll is necessary, feasible, and advisable, taking into account the prevailing conditions and potential challenges.
An EU ExM statement clarified the mission’s mandate, stating, "The mission’s mandate is to collect objective evidence on the pre-electoral environment and advise on whether a full observation mission would add value to the electoral process." This objective evidence collection is key for an informed decision. The mission's findings will inform Brussels' decision regarding the deployment of a larger, fully-mandated EOM for the presidential election later this year. This decision will hinge on the exploratory mission's full assessment of the situation on the ground.
Mission Composition and Mandate
The delegation is led by Ms Gunn Benjaminsen of the EEAS Democracy and Electoral Observation Division. Ms Beatrice Del Bubba of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instrument is accompanying the delegation. The team also includes four external electoral experts. These experts bring specialized knowledge to the assessment process. The delegation includes four external electoral experts, whose diverse backgrounds contribute to a thorough evaluation. These experts will remain in the country through June 24. If Brussels judges a full European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) warranted, a separate decision will be taken. This decision would deploy a formally mandated observation mission with a broader team of long-term observers, short-term observers, and technical experts ahead of the presidential election. If Brussels judges a full EOM warranted, a separate decision will be taken to deploy a formally mandated observation mission with a broader team of long-term observers, short-term observers, and technical experts ahead of the presidential election, signifying a more extensive commitment to electoral oversight.
Engagement Strategy
The exploratory mission plans to engage with a broad spectrum of Gambian society during its assessment. Team members will meet with national authorities, political parties, civil society organisations, media actors, and other stakeholders across the country's electoral ecosystem. The team will meet national authorities, political parties, civil society organisations, media actors, and stakeholders across the electoral ecosystem to gather a wide range of perspectives on the electoral landscape. These discussions aim to gather diverse perspectives on the pre-electoral conditions, including the legal framework, political climate, and media environment.
As part of its outreach, the EU ExM extended invitations to media and civic actors for a closed exchange scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, at 15:45. The EU ExM has invited media and civic actors to a closed exchange on Tuesday, June 16, at 15:45 at the EU Delegation in Fajara, providing a platform for direct engagement. This meeting will take place at the EU Delegation in Fajara. Officials clarified that the upcoming gathering is explicitly not a press conference, indicating its purpose is distinct from a formal media briefing. This meeting is explicitly not a press conference, showing its focus on in-depth discussion rather than public statements. Instead, the meeting is designed to solicit expertise and perspectives from attendees regarding the media landscape, information integrity, and other pertinent issues affecting the electoral context in The Gambia. The meeting is intended to solicit expertise and perspectives on the media landscape, information integrity, and other issues affecting the electoral context, allowing for a detailed understanding of these critical areas. This approach shows the mission's objective to conduct a full evaluation of the environment leading up to the 2026 presidential election, ensuring all relevant factors are considered.
Emerging Electoral Challenges
Recent civil society reports and observer briefings have noted increasing concerns regarding the electoral landscape. These reports indicate a growing reliance on social media platforms, facilitating the rapid dissemination of misleading content. Recent civil society reports and observer briefings have flagged growing use of social media, rapid spread of misleading content, and emerging risks from artificial intelligence tools that can produce manipulated images and deepfakes, posing significant challenges to the electoral process. Additionally, emerging risks from artificial intelligence tools, capable of generating manipulated images and deepfakes, have been flagged as potential challenges to information integrity during the electoral process. These technological advancements introduce new complexities for election oversight and public discourse, requiring careful consideration in any observation mission. The potential for these tools to influence public opinion and distort facts is a major concern for the integrity of the upcoming polls.
The Exploratory Mission is tasked with compiling a report based on its factual findings gathered during its assessment in The Gambia. This full document will include a recommendation to relevant EU authorities. The Exploratory Mission will submit a report with its factual findings and a recommendation to EU authorities, providing a clear basis for future action. The recommendation will address whether a full European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) is deemed necessary, feasible, and advisable for the upcoming 2026 presidential election, considering the identified challenges and the overall pre-electoral environment.
