Overview
- Official results published Saturday show President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh won 97.81% of votes, with opponent Mohamed Farah Samatar at 2.19% and turnout reported at 80.33% of roughly 260,000 registered voters.
- Guelleh, who has ruled since 1999, faced only one little-known challenger from a minor party in Friday’s presidential vote.
- Journalists observed light traffic at many polling sites in the capital on Friday, even as the Interior Ministry later reported high nationwide participation.
- A November constitutional change removed the presidential age cap, allowing the 78-year-old incumbent to run again after previously signaling he would step down.
- Djibouti’s leverage stems from its ports and foreign bases on the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, yet a port-driven economy near 70% of GDP, heavy debt to China, and youth unemployment around 70% strain daily life.