Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh on Saturday claimed victory in an election that secured a sixth straight term in the strategically placed Horn of Africa nation.
“Re-elected”, the 78-year-old declared in a social media post as early results gave him a huge lead over his little-known opponent in Friday’s election.
Guelleh has ruled the tiny nation of one million people for 27 years with an iron grip. He has made his name leveraging Djibouti’s key location to turn it into an international military and maritime hub.
Its 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 square miles) hosts military bases and contingents from France, the United States, China, Japan and Italy, generating substantial financial, security and political benefits.
With about six percent of votes counted, an AFP tally of results announced by the election commission gave Guelleh more than 96 percent of the vote, putting him well on course to extend his term.
Mohamed Farah Samatar, leader of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), a party with no seats in parliament, had about 3.5 percent.
Guelleh won the last election in 2021, boycotted by most of the opposition, with more than 97 percent of the vote. He had announced he would step down this year but a constitutional amendment in November removed the upper age limit of 75 for presidential candidates.
Some polling stations stayed open an hour later because of delays opening at the start of the day. But few people in Djibouti doubted who would win.
Amid heavy security, Guelleh, widely known by his initials IOG, voted before noon at City Hall alongside his wife, while Samatar cast his ballot earlier.
“By the grace of God, we have arrived here, and we hope that this will end in victory,” Guelleh told reporters.
Guelleh has plastered the capital with campaign posters and drew thousands to his rallies, while Samatar has struggled to gain support.
The national broadcaster aired one of Samatar’s events, with only a few dozen people present.
