DJIBOUTI – The Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh was re-elected for a 6th term on Friday after acquiring 97.81% of votes in the presidential election.

According to the Interior Ministry, Guelleh’s only rival, Mohamed Farah Samatar, received 2.19% of the vote.

Voter turnout stood at 80.33%.

Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999 and will continue to lead the Horn of Africa nation.

He also won around 97% of the vote in the previous election held in 2021.

Djibouti, with a population of just over 1 million, holds strategic importance due to its location at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, controlling access between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The country hosts military bases belonging to major global powers, including France, the US, Japan and China.