Djiboutian president secures landslide victory

Ismail Omar Guelleh obtained 97.81% in the April 10 presidential election, according to provisional results announced by the authorities

Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won reelection, according to provisional results, securing a sixth term and extending his nearly three-decade rule over the small East African nation.

Guelleh, 78, won 97.81% of the vote in Friday’s election, Interior Minister Said Nouh Hassan announced on Saturday. His sole challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former ruling party member representing a small opposition party with no seats in parliament, received 2.19%. Turnout was just over 80%.

“These provisional results will be transmitted to the Constitutional Council for verification and official proclamation in accordance with the current electoral law,” Hassan said.

The outcome was widely expected to deliver another landslide victory for Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999 after succeeding his uncle, former President Hassan Gouled Aptidon. He also won the 2021 presidential election with more than 97% of the vote.

The April 10 election came months after Djibouti’s parliament removed the presidential age limit of 75, allowing Guelleh to run again.

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Opposition groups and rights organizations have long accused the authorities of restricting political competition and suppressing dissent in the country of around 1 million people. Several major opposition parties have boycotted past elections, saying the electoral process lacks transparency and that the playing field is tilted heavily in favor of the ruling party.

Djibouti’s government has repeatedly rejected the allegations, saying elections are conducted in line with the law.

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The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the East African regional bloc that observed the vote alongside the African Union and others, said the electoral process was peaceful. Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu described Djibouti as “a stronghold of regional diplomacy and cooperation” and praised the authorities for their “continued contribution to advancing dialogue, stability, and collective action in the Horn of Africa.”

Guelleh’s administration has been credited with investing in port infrastructure, helping turn Djibouti into a key gateway for landlocked Ethiopia. The country, located on the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea, also hosts military bases for the US, China, France, Japan, and others.

Djibouti’s economy relies heavily on port services, while revenue from foreign military bases is also a key source of state income, according to the IMF and World Bank.

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