During the presidential elections in Djibouti on the 8th of April, incumbent President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh was re-elected, receiving 87% of the votes in the first round. He establishes his fourth term as President after taking over from his relative Hassan Gouled Aptidon who ruled the country from its independence in 1977 until 1999. His main rival, Djibouti independence hero Omar Elmi Khaireh came in second place with 7% of the votes. The Union for National Salvation (USN), a coalition of seven opposition parties, claimed the election lacked transparency and three of the parties decided to boycott. The other parties of the UNS provided 2 candidates and another three independent candidates joined in on the election contest. The Djibouti electoral commission said 187.000 people of the 876.000 population were eligible to vote.

Parties from the USN opposition coalition were angry that the President rescinded his earlier decision not to seek another term. They claim that the West is not putting pressure on the government due to the fact that it is generally seen as a relatively stable country in comparison to other countries in the region such as Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia and due to the countries’ geostrategic position. Djibouti occupies a strategic position at the gateway from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, attracting powers such as the US, France and China to establish military bases. President Guelleh has overseen Djibouti's economic rise as it seeks to position itself as an international port.

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For more indept information on Djibouti’s election, click here.
For a more extensive analysis on Djibouti's geopolitical position in the region, click here.