Summary
Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won his sixth consecutive term in office after receiving nearly 98% of the votes in the latest election. The election saw high voter turnout, and Guelleh's opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, received just over 2% of the votes. Changes to the law last year allowed Guelleh to run again despite his age.
Key Facts
- President Ismail Omar Guelleh won about 97.81% of the votes in the election.
- Guelleh’s opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, received 2.19% of the votes.
- Guelleh has been in power since 1999 and this marks his sixth term.
- The election had an 80.4% voter turnout.
- Legal changes last year removed presidential age limits in Djibouti.
- About 256,000 people, roughly a quarter of the population, were registered to vote.
- Two main opposition parties have been boycotting elections since 2016.
- Djibouti is strategically located at a key maritime strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
