'Djibouti President Wins Sixth Term in Landslide After 27 Years in Power...Secures 97.8% of Vote'

Abolishing Term and Age Limits Through Constitutional Amendments
Victory All but Assured in a One-Candidate Race

Ismail Omar Guelleh, the current president of Djibouti in East Africa, who has been in office for 27 years, has secured his sixth term and will serve for an additional five years until 2031.

On April 11 local time, major international media outlets such as the Associated Press reported, citing an announcement from Djibouti's Ministry of the Interior, that President Guelleh of the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP) won the previous day's presidential election with 97.8% of the vote.

In this election, approximately 250,000 voters registered, and the overall voter turnout was recorded at 80.4%. Mohamed Farah Samatar, the candidate from the Union for Democracy and Justice (CDU) and Guelleh's sole opponent, received only 2.2% of the vote.

The outcome of this presidential election was essentially determined even before it began. President Guelleh's only challenger was Samatar, and the CDU currently holds no seats in parliament. Before the Ministry of the Interior's official announcement, President Guelleh even declared his victory through social media.

Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti in East Africa, who has been in office for 27 years, has won a sixth term. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Since coming to power in 1999, President Guelleh has maintained a long-term rule. In 2010, a constitutional amendment abolished the three-term limit, and in November last year, the upper age limit for presidential candidates (75 years) was also eliminated, paving the way for his sixth-term bid. He also secured re-election in the 2021 presidential election with over 97% of the vote.

The political structure in Djibouti is also firmly centered around the ruling party. The coalition led by the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP) holds a majority in parliament, providing a stable power base. Within this framework, President Guelleh is credited with driving economic growth through port operations and the development of logistics hubs. At the same time, however, he faces criticism for restricting freedom of expression and suppressing opposition activities, raising concerns about democratic backsliding.

Since gaining independence in 1977, Djibouti has been governed by only two presidents: Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the country's first president, and his nephew, President Guelleh. This long-term rule is credited with maintaining stability, but it has also been criticized for a lack of political diversity and worsening human rights issues.

Meanwhile, the world's longest-serving head of state is President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, who has been in power for 46 years. Other notable long-serving leaders include Paul Biya of Cameroon (43 years), Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo (42 years), and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda (39 years). Russian President Vladimir Putin has also maintained power since 1999, when including his time as both president and prime minister.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.