Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has officially announced that he will run again in the country’s presidential election scheduled for April 2026, which will be his sixth term in office, after the Djiboutian parliament recently lifted age and term limits in the constitution.
The 77-year-old president said he had accepted an invitation from the ruling People’s Progressive Party (RPP) during a special congress held at the People’s Palace in Djibouti. He said the party had asked him to run for a sixth term as president of Djibouti.
Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, pledged to continue his policies, which he said were based on “unity, stability, and development,” saying the country faced global challenges that required strong leadership.
His party and the Union for the Presidential Majority (UPM) coalition hold a majority of seats in parliament, making his re-election a near certainty. He won the last election in 2021 with 97% of the votes counted, although the validity of the vote is uncertain as the Ministry of Interior is responsible for elections in Djibouti.
Last week, Djibouti’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment that removed a provision that barred anyone over 75 from running for president. In 2010, the constitution was also amended to remove a provision that limited a person’s ability to run for office more than twice, a move that was intended to keep Guelleh in office.
The Djiboutian president is credited by his party members for leading the country to economic stability and security, making his country a strategic hub that hosts military bases from the United States, China, France, Japan and Italy. However, human rights groups accuse his government of suppressing dissent and press freedom. The opposition also says he has led Djibouti into a backward state.
According to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Djibouti ranked 168th out of 180 countries in 2025, which makes it a very poor country for press freedom, with RSF saying that “the country’s media is completely under the control of the government.” Guelleh took over from Djibouti’s founding father, Hassan Guuleed Aptidoon, in 1999, after 22 years as head of his office.
There are also no recognized opposition parties in Djibouti. President Guelleh is often accused of funding rival but grassroots parties, which allows him to avoid opposition pressure. Most opposition leaders have fled the country.
