Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, confirmed Saturday that he would run for a sixth term in elections next year, after parliament removed a constitutional barrier that had prevented him from running again.The 77-year-old accepted the nomination from his People’s Rally for Progress (RPP) party during a congress in the capital, a statement from the presidency said.The Horn of Africa nation is a stable state in an often troubled region, operating a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, China, Japan and Italy.Guelleh promised to reaffirm his commitment to “unity, stability, and development amid global challenges” ahead of presidential elections set for April 2026.He is the latest ageing African leader to seek to remain in power, after the recent re-elections of 92-year-old Paul Biya in Cameroon and 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara in Ivory Coast.His re-election is virtually guaranteed, with his Union for the Presidential Majority coalition holding a majority of seats in parliament, and after winning the last election in 2021 with 97 percent of the vote.His candidacy comes less than a week after parliament voted to remove the 75-year age limit for presidential candidates from the Constitution.The Constitution had already been changed in 2010 to remove a two-term limit for the presidency.Djibouti is regularly criticised by human rights organisations for alleged repression of dissenting voices.It ranks 168th of 180 in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index for 2025, with the NGO saying “the media landscape is completely controlled and limited almost exclusively to state media”.- ‘Everything is perfect’ -Guelleh succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the father of Djibouti’s independence, in 1999 after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.”All I can tell you is that I love my country too much to embark on an irresponsible adventure and be the cause of divisions,” Guelleh told the magazine Africa Report in May when asked about his candidacy.He also addressed persistent rumours around his health, admitting he “probably” needed to “lose a few pounds” but “Otherwise, everything is perfect”.Djibouti, with around one million inhabitants, is on the strategic trade route of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.
