Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh Re-elected to Sixth Term

President Guelleh received 97.81% of the votes cast, according to official results published by the state-run news agency.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti has been re-elected to a sixth consecutive term, according to official results published by the state-run news agency. The election was held on Friday.

Official Results and Turnout

According to the official results:

• President Guelleh received 97.81% of the votes cast.
• His sole opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), received 2.19% of the vote.

Voter turnout was reported at 80.4% by Djibouti media outlets. Approximately 256,000 people were registered to vote, which is roughly a quarter of the country's estimated population of one million.

Election Day Logistics

Polls, originally scheduled to close at 6:00 PM local time (15:00 GMT), remained open for an additional hour due to reported delays.

Candidate Statements and Campaign

As early results arrived, President Guelleh posted "Reelected" on the social media platform X. After casting his vote, he told reporters, "By the grace of God, we have arrived here, and we hope that this will end in victory."

His opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, campaigned under the slogan "another Djibouti is possible." The CDU party currently holds no seats in the national parliament.

Political and Historical Context

Ismail Omar Guelleh has been the President of Djibouti since 1999. In the 2021 presidential election, he was re-elected with approximately 98% of the vote.

The constitutional framework for presidential elections has changed during his tenure:

• Presidential term limits were removed in 2010.
• Presidential age limits were removed in 2023, allowing Guelleh to seek another term.

Two of the country's main opposition parties have boycotted national elections since 2016.

Geopolitical Context

Djibouti is a nation in the Horn of Africa, sharing borders with Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. It is strategically located at the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea.

Human Rights Context

Human rights groups have, for years, accused Djiboutian government authorities of repressing freedom of speech and political activity. The government has consistently rejected these charges.