In the small yet strategically important nation of Djibouti, voting commenced on Friday for what is anticipated to be a sixth term for President Ismail Omar Guelleh, 78, who is facing only one known opponent. Guelleh, who has governed the nation of around one million people for 27 years, benefits from Djibouti’s strategic location, turning it into a hub for international military and maritime activities. The country, covering only 23,000 square kilometers, hosts military bases from France, the United States, China, Japan, and Italy, which contribute significantly to its financial, security, and political advantages. Guelleh, who had announced his intention to step down this year, was allowed to run again following a constitutional amendment in November that lifted the age limit for presidential candidates.
Despite the delayed opening of polling stations on Friday, voting concluded around 7:00 pm, an hour past the official end time. The first results were anticipated later that evening. Amid heavy security, Guelleh cast his vote at City Hall, alongside his wife, while his opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, leader of the Unified Democratic Centre (CDU), voted earlier. Voter turnout varied between 36 to 58 percent at various polling stations, but exceeded 90 percent at a location where soldiers were voting.
Guelleh has dominated the political landscape in Djibouti, winning over 97 percent of the vote in the 2021 presidential election, which was largely boycotted by the opposition. Since succeeding the country’s first president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999, Guelleh has faced minimal opposition. His candidacy is perceived by some as a source of “stability “in the troubled Horn of Africa region, though analysts believe it is driven by the lack of a universally accepted successor.
The health of the president has been a topic of concern, and despite the Djibouti League of Human Rights branding the election a “masquerade, “many citizens expressed their eagerness to vote. The country, with around 70 percent of young people unemployed and substantial debt, particularly to China, depends heavily on ports for its economy. Human rights organizations accuse the nation of suppressing dissent, while Guelleh is criticized for favoring his Issa ethnic group over the Afar minority.
Source: Africanews
Original author: AfricaNews
