Over 256 000 Djiboutians are set to vote on Friday April 10, in a presidential election that could extend President Ismail Omar Guelleh’s tenure, who has been in power since 1999.

He faces a single challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former member of the ruling party and leader of the Centre démocratique unifié (CDU), which holds no seats in Parliament.

Guelleh was re-elected in 2021 with 97% of the vote in a contest largely boycotted by the opposition. His current term was originally expected to be his last, but Parliament recently removed the 75-year age limit for presidential candidates, clearing the path for him to run again.

The election takes place against a backdrop of heightened regional geopolitical tensions. Governance expert Joël Atayi Guedegbe says the vote will be closely watched, highlighting concerns about electoral competitiveness and the concentration of power in the executive.

–ChannelAfrica–