Djibouti’s Guelleh wins sixth term in landslide presidential election
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has secured another term at the helm of Djibouti, with official figures from Friday’s vote handing him 97.81 percent of ballots cast.
At 78, Guelleh extends a grip on power that has spanned more than two decades, further cemented after lawmakers removed presidential age limits last year. The outcome keeps intact a leadership era that has long defined the country’s political direction.
Authorities described the election as orderly and calm. By Saturday, the presidential palace had become a gathering point for supporters, who turned out to congratulate the veteran leader, the AP reported.
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The contest itself drew limited suspense. Guelleh’s only opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, once aligned with the ruling party, entered a race observers say lacked meaningful competition. Opposition movements have often stayed away from the polls, arguing that political space remains tightly controlled.
Guelleh first assumed office in 1999, taking over from his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, and continuing a lineage of leadership that has shaped governance in the country for decades.
Despite its modest size, Djibouti holds outsized geopolitical weight. Positioned along the corridor between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, it hosts military installations from global powers including the United States, China, France and Japan. Income from these bases, together with port services for landlocked Ethiopia, remains central to the national economy.
