STORY: :: Djibouti votes in an election that sees President Ismail Omar Guelleh seeking to extend his 27-year rule
:: Djibouti City, Djibouti / April 10, 2026
:: Last year parliament scrapped age limits that would have disqualified Guelleh from this election
Guelleh, 78, who has won five elections, most recently securing more than 97% of the vote in 2021.
Parliament scrapped age limits that would have disqualified him from this election.
Rights groups accuse the government of repression and electoral irregularities, allegations authorities deny. Parliament last year also eased constitutional requirements, paving the way for Guelleh's continued rule.
The small but strategically located country, with a population of less than 1 million, lies along the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea and hosts U.S., Chinese, French, Italian and Japanese military bases. Since 2023, several commercial ships damaged in attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants have docked in the country.
