Djibouti’s Guelleh faces only low-profile rival in presidential ballot

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies

Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has ruled the strategically located Horn of Africa nation for nearly three decades, will face just one little-known challenger in next month’s presidential election, according to an official decree published Wednesday.

The 78-year-old leader will seek a sixth term on April 10 after lawmakers unanimously amended the constitution in November to remove the 75-year age limit.

His only rival is Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former ruling party member whose Unified Democratic Center party holds no parliamentary seats.

“There is little doubt about the outcome,” a Djiboutian analyst told AFP.

Strategic crossroads

Djibouti, home to around one million people, hosts vital military bases for the United States, China, France and other powers near the strategic Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Guelleh, in power since 1999, has maintained relative stability in a troubled region.

Democratic concerns

A former presidential adviser, Alexis Mohamed, who resigned in September citing “democratic backsliding,” was unable to submit his candidacy, claiming he lacked “security guarantees” to return from abroad.

Djibouti ranks 168th out of 180 in Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index, and the International Federation for Human Rights says elections “are not free” there.

Guelleh won 97% of the vote in 2021.