Djibouti's longtime ruler Guelleh announces bid for sixth term after constitutional changes

DJIBOUTI CITY, Nov 9 — Djibouti’s long-serving President Ismail Omar Guelleh has formally announced that he will seek re-election in the country’s 2026 presidential vote, a move that would extend his more than two-decade rule after parliament scrapped age and term limits from the constitution.

The 77-year-old leader said he had accepted a request from his ruling People’s Rally for Progress (RPP) party to run for a sixth term during a special party congress held at the Presidential Palace in Djibouti City.

“My party has called on me to once again lead our nation on the path of unity, stability, and progress,” Guelleh said, pledging to continue his policies amid what he described as “global challenges that demand strong leadership.”

Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, is widely expected to win given his party’s dominance in parliament and the broader Union for the Presidential Majority (UPM) coalition, which holds nearly all seats. In the 2021 election, he was re-elected with 97 percent of the vote — a result opposition groups dismissed as neither free nor fair.

Last week, Djibouti’s parliament approved constitutional amendments that abolished the 75-year age cap for presidential candidates. The 2010 constitutional reform had already removed the two-term limit, changes that effectively paved the way for Guelleh’s continued rule.

Supporters within his party hailed Guelleh for maintaining Djibouti’s economic and security stability and for turning the small Horn of Africa nation into a strategic hub hosting military bases from the United States, China, France, Japan, and Italy.

However, human rights organizations accuse his government of cracking down on opposition and curbing press freedom. Exiled opposition figures say Guelleh has silenced dissent and fostered a political system devoid of genuine competition.

According to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2025 Press Freedom Index, Djibouti ranks 168th out of 180 countries, with the organization noting that “the media is completely controlled by the government.”

Guelleh succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the country’s founding president, in 1999 after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.

Djibouti currently has no major opposition parties operating openly, and critics allege that the president bankrolls nominal rivals loyal to him, ensuring that he faces little to no electoral pressure ahead of the 2026 vote.

GAROWE ONLINE