Veteran Ruler Extends Grip on Power in Djibouti's Landslide Election
Djibouti's long-serving President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh wins a sixth consecutive term in a one-sided election, cementing his 23-year rule over the strategic East African nation.
Djibouti, a small but strategically vital country on the Horn of Africa, has seen its veteran ruler, President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, secure a sixth consecutive term in office following a landslide election victory. The 73-year-old president, who has been in power since 1999, won a staggering 97% of the vote, according to official results.
Guelleh's opponents, including the main opposition party, boycotted the April 9th election, citing a lack of fair electoral conditions. This latest victory extends the Guelleh family's grip on power, which began when the president's uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, became Djibouti's first president after it gained independence from France in 1977.
{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}Source: Al Jazeera
