President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, who has ruled the country since 1999, has not ruled out seeking a sixth term in office, despite a constitutional age limit that would bar his candidacy. In an interview published Friday by *The Africa Report*, the 77-year-old leader declined to give a definitive answer on whether he would run in the April 2026 election.
“I won’t answer that,” Guelleh said. “What I can say is that I love my country too much to lead it into a reckless venture or sow division.”
Under Djibouti’s constitution, candidates over the age of 75 are ineligible to run for president, meaning Guelleh would need to amend the law to enter the race.
In the 2021 presidential election, Guelleh secured a sweeping victory with 97 percent of the vote. His party, the Union for the Presidential Majority (UMP), currently dominates the national parliament.
Nicknamed “IOG,” Guelleh succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, Djibouti’s first president after independence from France in 1977. Guelleh served as Aptidon’s chief of staff for over two decades before taking office.
Despite its small size and population of around one million, Djibouti plays a critical strategic role in the Horn of Africa. The country hosts military bases for major global powers, including the United States, France, and China.
