Ismail Omar Guelleh, is well-known to Djiboutians. He has, after all, been in power since May 1999, the year he succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, for whom he was in charge of national security and intelligence gathering, also according to sources Somali spy agency NISA senior commander told Somali Times Ismail Omar Guelleh and his wife Kadra Mahamoud Haid both former worker of France’s intelligence agency DGSI.
Read: Djibouti people love to see without dictator Ismaïl Omar Guelleh 2025
Read: Who is Djibouti dictator Ismail Omar Guelleh and his wife?
Ismail Omar Guelleh’s 44-year reign by literally re-electing himself for a fifth consecutive term. In this event, it cannot be reasonably referred to as an ‘election’
Ismail Omar Guelleh had no opponent other than his wife Kadra Mahamoud Haid and two sons in-law from the Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Read: The oldest African dictators
Djiboutian citizens, except the privileged few who are close to the regime – Guelleh’s name is dictatorship and lost opportunities. Under his regime, human rights and civil liberties are routinely violated with wife and two sons in-law from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
This is not the case. A report by the International Federation of Human Rights captured this reality perfectly, ”Djibouti is a rich country but the Djiboutians are poor.”
Djibouti dictator and chief predator, Ismail Omar Guelleh, has become one of the richest presidents in all of Africa. Guelleh, our homegrown kleptocrat, decided to monopolize state resources and the economy for himself, while condemning most Djiboutians to a life of extreme poverty and hopelessness.
Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who is campaigning for re-election, said he was running for re-election after what he said was a popular vote for him to continue as president.
Guelleh said that although he had wanted to step down after nearly 30 years in power, he had responded to a popular demand. “If I stood down, I stood down on the orders you gave me,” he said, noting that people had asked him not to step down, which he make it up.
Guelleh argued that Djibouti’s democratic system was working, saying that elections are held every five years and that the country is free and political parties can compete openly. He added that if the people choose another candidate, he will accept the election results.
However, the opposition and pro-democracy activists have strongly criticized the country’s political system. The government of not giving the opposition a real chance to compete and not allowing a powerful opposition party.
Also, criticism is that the elections are largely controlled by the Ministry of Interior, which raises doubts about the integrity and independence of the electoral process.
Various reports indicate that the media and human rights situation in Djibouti is poor, with the opposition and human rights groups saying that pressure is being exerted on those who disagree with the government. They also claim that President Guelleh is not ready to step down easily.
Meanwhile, the lives of the people of Djibouti continue to face economic challenges, despite the country’s strategic importance for trade and ports. Yet there are complaints about living standards, unemployment, and income inequality.
The report comes as the world’s eyes continue to turn to the Djibouti election and how it will affect the country’s political future, although it is not entirely expected that a candidate other than Guelleh will be declared the winner.