Djibouti — Djibouti is set to hold its next presidential election, with President Ismail Omar Guelleh expected to seek re-election for a second term, a term he has held since 1999.
Reports suggest that the election will feature only one candidate for president, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former member of the ruling party and now leader of the CDU.
Djibouti, home to about one million people, is strategically important because of its location near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, where countries such as the United States, China and France have important military bases.
President Guelleh, now 78, is considering running for the 10-year mark after lawmakers amended the constitution in November to remove the 75-year-old age limit.
In the last election in 2021, Ismail Omar Guelleh won more than 97% of the vote, which led to his strong support among the country’s universities.
There are also other candidates who were interested in running, such as Alexis Mohamed, but did not make it to the election.
This election is expected to further strengthen the current education system in the country, with eyes closely watching the results and how it could affect the situation in the Horn of Africa region.
