This brings our live coverage of Djibouti’s 2026 general election to an end. The vote is widely expected to extend President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh's rule for over two decades. Follow Global South World for ongoing updates as the process continues, with final results expected from the Electoral Commission within the next 48 hours.

15:30 GMT: IGAD perspective on Djibouti elections

12:30 GMT: Online reactions trail the elections

12:00 GMT: President Guelleh casts his vote

The leader said, "Everything went well thanks to God, I have fulfilled my duty as a citizen, and I hope that the citizens of Djibouti will do the same," after casting his ballot.

7:50 GMT: Voting continues in Djibouti

7:02 GMT: Guelleh promises prosperity

During the final campaign run, sitting President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh assured Djiboutians that his party would continue to promote prosperity.

6:16 GMT: Voting begins in Djibouti

Djibouti heads to the polls on Friday, April 10, 2026, but few observers expect surprises.

At the centre is President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, widely known as “IOG”, who has ruled Djibouti since 1999 after succeeding his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the country’s first president. If re-elected, Guelleh would extend his tenure to nearly three decades in power.

His dominance is backed by the  ruling party, the People’s Rally for Progress  (RPP), which leads the broader governing coalition, the Union for the Presidential Majority (UMP).

A 2010 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits, allowing Guelleh to run indefinitely. More recently, in 2025, Djibouti’s parliament eliminated the 75-year age cap for presidential candidates, a move widely interpreted as designed to ensure Guelleh, now 78, could stand again.

Who is contesting IOG?

Mohamed Farah Samatar stands as the sole challenger to President Guelleh, though his candidacy carries its own complexities. A former insider of the ruling establishment, he is now contesting the presidency under the banner of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU).

During the lead-up to the votes, Samatar took his campaign to the Tadjourah and Obock regions, where he addressed supporters and attempted to project an alternative vision for the country, insisting that “another Djibouti is possible”.

Even so, analysts remain sceptical about the broader significance of the race. Sonia Le Gouriellec, a specialist on the Horn of Africa at Lille Catholic University, told AFP: “There’s not much at stake. It’s just a token competition.”

Who can vote?

Roughly  243,000 voters are registered for Djibouti’s 2026 presidential election , according to data from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, out of a national population estimated at just over one million.

Polling stations are expected to open in the morning and close later in the day, after which counting is expected to begin.

Despite being labelled an “electoral autocracy” by international monitors, Djibouti is hosting a regional observer mission from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with 17 observers from Ethiopia, Kenya , Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda deployed nationwide.

The bloc is expected to release its initial assessment after the vote, followed by a formal statement on 12 April.

This concludes our live coverage of the February 12 Bangladesh elections. Vote counting is currently in progress. Follow Global South World for further updates as we await the official results from the Bangladesh Election Commission.

10:59 GMT: Polls close in first election after 15 years

Vote counting is underway in Bangladesh following the nation’s first election since student-led protests led to the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.

10:10 GMT: What time do polls close?

Polls in Bangladesh’s general election will close at 4:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. GMT). While voting began at 7:30 a.m., voters already in line at closing time will still be allowed to cast their ballots.

9:45 GMT: Voting continues across Bangladesh as election day progresses

8:00 GMT: Over 1.12 million postal ballots received

By 7:00 a.m. GMT (1:00 p.m. local time), the Bangladesh Election Commission reported that 1,125,382 postal ballots had reached returning officers under the country’s first technology-supported postal voting system. In total, over 1.528 million voters were approved to vote by post in this election.

7:48 GMT: Voting is currently underway in Bangladesh’s general election, with polling stations open across the country as citizens continue to cast their ballots.

7:44 GMT: Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus cast his ballot in the 13th general election and referendum on the July National Charter at the Gulshan Model School and College centre in Dhaka.

7:38 GMT: Around 540 foreign observers and journalists from major global organisations and media outlets, including BBC, Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera English, the European Union delegation, the Commonwealth Secretariat, ANFREL, IRI, among others, are monitoring the elections across the country.

5:20 GMT: BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman said the moment was long anticipated as he cast his ballot in Bangladesh’s defining 2026 general election. "People of Bangladesh have been waiting for this day," he said.

3:40 GMT: Tarique Rahman casts his vote in Bangladesh’s pivotal 13th parliamentary elections, marking a high-profile return to frontline politics for the BNP leader. The son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia voted at a Dhaka polling centre.

3:20 GMT: After casting his vote, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman expressed hope that his party would establish a government genuinely selected by the people. “If the voting is held in a free and fair manner, we will accept the results. Others should also accept the verdict of the people,” he said.

2:50 GMT: Almost 1 million security personnel are on the ground today across Bangladesh, with surveillance cameras also installed in multiple sites to ensure the security of voters. These tight measures come as precincts remain “vulnerable to violence,” according to the electoral body.

2:30 GMT: Apart from the polls becoming the first to be held since Hasina was ousted, this year also marks the first time Bangladesh conducts a general election and a national referendum side by side. Thus, two ballots are used: white for the parliamentary elections and pink for the referendum.

1:50 GMT : While many voters are upbeat about the polls, considering it is the first to be held since the fall of the Hasina regime, some still express reservation over the shallow pool of candidates.

1:35GMT: Security is tight in Bangladesh, with reports from the ground indicating the deployment of striking teams to ensure voters can cast their ballots securely.

1:30 GMT: Voting opens in Bangladesh, in one of the most awaited and consequential polls for Asia in 2026, considering the size of the voting population and the political backdrop of the election.

Polls open at 7:30 a.m. (01:30 GMT) and close at 4:30 p.m. (10:30 GMT).

The Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) extended the polling time by one hour overall—up from the previous 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. window—to accommodate the increased voting workload. This extra time is necessary because voters will be processing two separate ballots: a white ballot for the parliamentary election and a pink ballot for the national referendum.

Background

Bangladesh's 2026 elections mark the first vote since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. An interim government will oversee the parliamentary polls and a national referendum on constitutional reforms. Key rivals include the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, while the Awami League remains barred.

How many voters are eligible?

A final voter list released by the Election Commission of Bangladesh indicates that approximately 127.7 million eligible citizens will participate in this election. Of these voters:

This is one of the largest electorates in South Asia . Many voters are also participating for the first time, including millions who turned 18 since the last election.

How many parties are contesting?

Candidates are contesting across 299 constituencies (after one constituency election was cancelled due to a candidate’s death). At least 51 political parties are participating, alongside independent candidates.

Major political players in this election include:

Electoral system and process

Voters are casting ballots in the 13th National Parliamentary Election (Jatiya Sangsad) to elect members of parliament. Alongside the general election, a national referendum on political reforms, covering issues like executive limits and governance accountability, is also being held.

Bangladesh uses a first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system. Each of the 300 seats in parliament is contested in a single-member constituency: the candidate with the most votes in each wins the seat. After the election, 50 additional seats are reserved for women and allocated to parties based on their share of the elected seats, in line with constitutional provisions.

Polling is taking place simultaneously nationwide from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on election day, with transparent ballot boxes used at each centre.

Polling stations and logistics

The Election Commission has finalised over 42,700 polling centres across the country, each serving roughly 3,000 voters on average. In total, there are more than 247,000 polling booths staffed by thousands of electoral officials to ensure the voting process runs smoothly.

For the first time, Bangladesh has introduced a digital postal voting platform (“Postal Vote BD” app) to facilitate voting by citizens living abroad, government officials on duty outside the country, and others eligible for postal ballots

When will results be announced?

Counting of votes typically begins soon after polling stations close at 4:30 p.m. on election day. Preliminary results are expected to begin emerging later that evening and may continue into the early hours of the following day.

The official and full results are usually announced over the next 24–48 hours as constituencies report in. (This pattern reflects recent practice in Bangladeshi elections; specific times are set by the Election Commission.

Absence of Awami League

Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in 2024, the party's registration and electoral activities were suspended. The party has been banned from all political activities and will not participate in the upcoming elections under its electoral symbol.

The absence of the Awami League—historically one of Bangladesh's largest and most influential political parties—is considered a highly significant shift in the country's political landscape. Experts note that a central challenge for the next government will be determining the future of the party and how long the substantial segment of the electorate aligned with it can remain politically excluded.

Brief history of elections in Bangladesh

The country’s first general election was held on 7 March 1973, just two years after independence, with the Awami League winning an overwhelming majority of seats in the new national parliament, the Jatiya Sangsad. That election helped establish the foundations of parliamentary democracy in the young nation.

A key turning point came with the 1991 general election, widely viewed as a return from military rule to civilian parliamentary democracy. That election brought the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power and established a pattern of alternating rule between BNP and the Awami League, which would shape politics into the 2000s.

The January 2024 election, held under Hasina’s administration, saw the Awami League win a large majority amid low turnout and a boycott by major opposition parties. This period culminated in nationwide protests and unrest that ultimately led to her removal from power later that year.

Now, the 2026 election is the first major vote after the end of long-term dominance by a single leader and in a political environment shaped by mass protest, calls for reform, and efforts to strengthen democratic legitimacy.

Other members of the Presidential Council who will attend the side event include President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya , and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria will be represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, while Prime Minister James Marape will represent Papua New Guinea.

The Guardians Circle of the initiative, made up of former Heads of State, includes President Olusegun Obasanjo, Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

The Davos meeting will mark the launch of priority programmes under the initiative. This follows its formal presentation at the 2025 United Nations General Assembly and endorsement at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. The initiative comes at a time of increasing global power rivalries, a breakdown in traditional aid structures, growing trade conflicts, and the mounting effects of climate change, economic hardship, pandemics, and war.

The Accra Reset, spearheaded by President Mahama and his co-convenor, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, suggests a new framework based on sovereignty, practicality, and mutual benefits.

Click here to find out more about the Accra Reset: Davos Convening

Secretary-General Guterres, who urges diplomacy amid the unrest, was accused by an anti-government advocate of staying silent during the 'massacre' while the Islamic Republic has also been accused of shutting down the internet to hide mass killings.

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He made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump referenced what he called the "Donroe Doctrine," a play on the historic Monroe Doctrine, which dates back to 1823 and warned European nations not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere.

Although he described Delcy Rodriguez as cooperating, he warned she could face a “worse situation” than the ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro, if she did not continue to do so.

He also made critical remarks about other Latin American countries. Maduro is expected to face charges today in the US

Donald Trump says the US will oversee Venezuela ’s transition and rebuild its oil sector, a move that marks a sharp reversal of his pledge to avoid starting new wars.

According to Trump, they were flown out of Venezuela following “large-scale” strikes.

The Venezuelan government has accused the United States of launching attacks on both civilian and military sites in several states. In response to the incidents, President Maduro’s administration declared a national emergency. Officials described the situation as an act of “military aggression” by Washington and rejected the strikes.

During his first public address following the attack on Caracas, Trump stated the US will remain involved in Venezuela until what he calls a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” takes place, arguing this is necessary to protect peace , liberty, and the interests of Venezuelans at home and abroad. He also claims US oil companies would invest billions to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and revive production, which he described as having collapsed over decades.

This concludes our live coverage of Guinea’s 2025 general election, with the vote widely expected to cement the rule of Mamady Doumbouya. Follow Global South World for continued updates as Guinea moves into the next phase of the process.

19:22 GMT: Polls close in Guinea’s presidential election as vote counting begins

18:45 GMT: Polling stations' closing extended by one hour

18:00 GMT: Voting day ends in England

17:00 GMT: Voting is expected to end at 18:00 GMT. As of now, polling stations remain open, with long queues still forming.

14:59 GMT: There are more than 200 observers on the ground and its experts in its situation room

13:30 GMT: Guinean security forces report they have neutralized an armed group posing a "threat to national security" on the outskirts of Conakry

1:21 GMT: Military coup leader and candidate Mamadi Doumbouya votes in Boulbinet accompanied by his wife

12:16 GMT: High turnout in the polling stations

11:41 GMT: The ambassador of Guinée in Angola, H.E. Dienabou Saifond Diallo, accompanied by Sékou Kaba and Lansana Camara votes in Luanda.

10:27 GMT: Presidential Candidate Faya Millimouno casts his vote

9:45 GMT: Reports of an alleged coup following a shooting in the conakry suburbs spread on social media

9:35 GMT: Monitor the election in real time

8:45 GMT: Voting underway

8:25 GMT: Electoral observers monitor elections underway

7:58 GMT: Voters are beginning to head to the polling stations

7:13 GMT: Polling stations open

7:05 GMT: Guinea has shut its borders

Polling stations across the country are expected to open at 7:00 GMT and close at 18:00 GMT

Guinea’s 2025 presidential election is the first since a military coup in September 2021, when General Mamady Doumbouya ousted then-President Alpha Condé amid political unrest and protests. That coup abruptly halted a decade-long experiment with electoral democracy that began with Guinea’s first broadly accepted free election in 2010.

A new constitution lays the groundwork

A constitutional referendum on September 21, 2025 reshaped Guinea’s political system in advance of the election. Approved by nearly 90 % of voters, the new constitution:

This constitution effectively opened the door for Doumbouya to run, a reversal of earlier transitional pledges that had barred junta leaders from seeking office.

The lead candidate: General Mamady Doumbouya

General Mamady Doumbouya, a former special forces commander who led the 2021 coup, is the clear frontrunner. He initially pledged not to contest elections following the coup, but reversed that pledge after the new constitution removed restrictions on junta members running for office.

Doumbouya’s supporters highlight infrastructure work, mining sector reforms, including the long-delayed Simandou iron ore project, and relative stability compared to some neighbours, as reasons for backing his leadership.

Competition and the opposition field

Although multiple candidates are on the ballot, none represent the country’s main opposition leadership. Many big-name figures are either banned from running due to residency or party suspension or remain in exile.

This fragmented field has reinforced expectations that Doumbouya will secure a commanding victory, even as international and regional observers call for a credible, inclusive process.

What’s at stake

Election framework

Polling stations across the country will open at 7:00AM GMT and close at 6:00PM GMT on Sunday, December 28, 2025 for registered voters to cast their ballots. There are over 24,000 polling stations nationwide for this vote.

The president is elected using an absolute majority system: if no candidate gets more than 50 % of the vote in the first round, a runoff between the top two contenders will be held later.

How the Results Will Be Announced

Provisional results are expected to be published quickly after polling:

Observers and Process

Regional and international observer missions from ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, and other organisations are deployed to monitor voting and reporting

Who is eligible and how many voters?

Approximately 6.7 million registered voters are expected to participate on election day. The president is elected by absolute majority; if no candidate secures over 50 % of the vote, a runoff will be held between the top two contenders.

In September 2021, General Mamady Doumbouya led a military coup that ousted then-President Alpha Condé, ending a decade of increasingly contested democratic governance.

When and how the election was announced

The presidential election in Guinea is scheduled for Sunday, December 28, 2025. The date was officially set by government decree on September 27, 2025, following the adoption of a new constitution that reset the political calendar after the 2021 coup.

Guineans will vote in 24,000-plus polling stations nationwide. Results are expected to begin coming in within 48 to 72 hours after polls close.

The world's largest exporter of bauxite

Guinea’s election is set against the backdrop of one of the richest natural resource endowments in Africa, a factor that deeply influences politics, economics, and investor interest.

Guinea holds some of the largest bauxite reserves in the world — roughly 7.4 billion tonnes, accounting for about two-thirds of global reserves and making Guinea a major supplier of the ore used to make aluminium.

This development followed reports of sustained gunfire near several government sites in the capital, Bissau. Areas affected included the election commission headquarters, the presidential palace, and the interior ministry.

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“There were some shootings... I could hear them from my home in the city centre,” a resident told Global South World .

The presidential vote, held on November 23, was expected to have its results announced on November 27. The election featured incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and his main rival, Fernando Dias.

Both candidates declared victory on Monday, each claiming to have secured over half of the votes, despite the absence of official results. Embalo, 53, was seeking re-election to become the first president in thirty years to win a second consecutive term.

This concludes our live coverage of Guinea-Bissau's 2025 general elections. With fierce competition between the candidates, counting is underway to determine the country's next president. Polling stations opened at 0700 GMT and are expected to close at 1700 GMT. Provisional results are expected within 48 hours. Follow Global South World for continued updates about Guinea-Bissau post-election.

18:15 GMT: Polling stations end voting processes, counting begins

After 10 hours of voting, Guinea-Bissau has officially closed its polls, and counting is currently underway.

16:32 GMT: Mozambique's Philip Nyusi and Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan oversee elections

As part of a measure of transparency, the African Union sent its Chief of the Mission of Election Observers, Mozambique's former President, Filipe Nyusi, along with the former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, to monitor the ongoing elections.

Filipe's inclusion, however, is being questioned due to the belief that he ruled as Mozambique's president through fraudulent electoral means.

12:40 GMT: “Bissau-Guineans want only solutions and not slogans”

Journalist Samba M. Baldé, explains in an interview with Global South World, that, despite the many campaign messages spread by the various candidates, the citizens need practical solutions to their problems.

11:51 GMT: Voting continues in Guinea-Bissau

10:34 GMT: Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo votes

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo cast his vote this morning at a polling station in Umaro Djabula in Gabu. The president is seeking to make history as the only president to be given a second term in 3 decades.

9:47 GMT: People queue to vote in Mansôa

Bissau-Guineans in Mansôa are taking turns in casting their votes. Fernando Dias is expected to vote in this town. Citizens, however, remain committed to their desire to have a different economic climate and hope the results reflect that.

What you need to know

Candidates

Embalo is competing against 11 other candidates, including Fernando Dias, a relatively new figure in politics.

Right at his heels is 47-year-old Fernando Dias , backed by a powerful figure from the disqualified opposition leader, Domingos Simões Pereira, of PAIGC. This party led the country to independence in 1973.

Other contenders on the ballot include José Mário Vaz, who served as president from 2014 to 2020 and became the first post-independence leader to finish a full term. Baciro Dja, 52, a former defence minister who briefly occupied the prime minister’s office twice under President Vaz, first in 2015 and again in 2016.

Also in the race is 48-year-old Joao Bernardo Vieira, the namesake and nephew of Guinea-Bissau’s longest-serving president, who held power for most of the years between 1980 and 1999 and returned to office from 2005 to 2009.

The polls are expected to open at 7:00 am GMT and close at 5:00 pm GMT.

What citizens expect

During a conversation with Global South World's Abigail Johnson Boakye, a Bissau-Guinean journalist, Samba M. Baldé, shared that despite the hype around the upcoming elections, electorates seem to be less engaged as they are tired of slogans or manifestos and want real solutions.

"Engagement exists, but it's uneven because voters react to something that has certain benefits than to only promises, because for voters, when candidates fail to translate to voters their proposals into real impact or how they can really impact society , public interest quickly drops. ...But people are, for example, no longer satisfied with slogans. They want clear plans and measurable results in Guinea-Bissau," Samba said.

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