Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh has secured a sixth term in office after a decisive electoral victory marked by overwhelming margins.
According to the Interior Ministry, Guelleh won 97.81 percent of the vote, extending his long rule over the strategic Horn of Africa nation.
His only challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, received 2.19 percent of ballots cast in the presidential election.
Voter turnout reached 80.33 percent, reflecting strong participation despite the predictable outcome of the vote.
At 78 years old, Guelleh has led Djibouti since 1999, shaping its modern political landscape over nearly three decades.
He also recorded a similarly dominant result in the 2021 election, when he won around 97 percent of the vote.
Djibouti sits at a critical maritime crossroads along the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Its position gives the small nation outsized geopolitical weight in global trade and security calculations.
The country hosts military bases from France, the United States, Japan, and China, underscoring its international strategic relevance.
As Guelleh continues his rule, Djibouti remains a quiet but powerful pivot point in global maritime and military dynamics.