Djibouti's long-serving President Ismail Omar Guelleh has claimed a landslide victory in the country's latest elections, securing his sixth consecutive term in the Horn of Africa nation. According to official results published by Djibouti's state-run news agency, Guelleh secured 97.81 percent of the votes cast on Friday, while his sole opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, earned just 2.19 percent. Voter turnout was 80.4 percent, with roughly 256,000 people registered to vote out of a population of approximately one million.

Guelleh, 78, wrote "Reelected" on X as early results arrived. Last year, politicians removed presidential age limits, allowing him to seek another five years in power. Guelleh has ruled Djibouti since 1999, with the country strategically located at the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which provides access to the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden.

Ahead of the election, thousands gathered at Guelleh's campaign rallies, and his posters were plastered across the capital. In contrast, just a few dozen people were present at one of Samatar's campaign events broadcast by state media, as reported by AFP. Samatar rallied in the Tadjourah and Obock regions under the tagline "another Djibouti is possible," but his Unified Democratic Centre (CDU) opposition party holds no seats in parliament.

Guelleh's most recent victory in 2021 saw him take 98 percent of votes. Two of the country's main opposition parties have boycotted elections since 2016, after Guelleh did away with term limits in 2010. For years, human rights groups have accused government authorities of repressing freedom of speech and political activity, charges that the government has rejected.

Source: www.aljazeera.com