2026 Djiboutian presidential election

2026 Djiboutian presidential election
10 April 2026
 
Candidate Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
Party RPP
Alliance UMP
Incumbent President

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
RPP



Presidential elections will be held in Djibouti on 10 April 2026.[1] While term limits have been scrapped in 2010 following a constitutional reform, incumbent president Ismaïl Omar Guelleh who won a fifth term in 2021, has been president since 1999. Originally ineligible for a sixth term due to the age limit of 75 that Guelleh imposed as part of the reforms, Djibouti passed a constitutional amendment in 2025 that lifted age limits, allowing him to run again.[2]

Background

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, president since 1999, was re-elected five times, most recently in April 2021.[3] While scrapping term limits in the 2010 constitutional reform, Guelleh also imposed an age limit of 75. Thus, he was term-limited. Despite this, he had expressed interest in running again.[4][5]

On October 26, 2025, the Djiboutian parliament passed a bill lifting age limits for the presidency, enabling Guelleh to run for a sixth term.[6] In November 2025, Guelleh officially announced that he would be a candidate.[7]

Candidates

The only candidates are Guelleh and Mohamed Farah Samatar of the Unified Democratic Center party.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Djibouti Installs Electoral Commission Paving Way for April Presidential Vote". Dawan Africa. 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  2. ^ "Djibouti : Lawmakers Remove the 75-Year Age Limit for Presidential Candidates". Africa24 TV (in French). 2025-11-04. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  3. ^ "Veteran ruler Guelleh re-elected Djibouti leader for fifth term". Al Jazeera. 10 April 2021.
  4. ^ "2026 election: Djibouti president leaves door open to sixth term". Arab News. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Ismaïl Omar Guelleh : « J'aime trop Djibouti pour l'embarquer dans une aventure irresponsable »". Jeune Africa (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Djibouti approves constitutional amendment allowing new term for President Guelleh". KUNA. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  7. ^ "Djibouti's President Guelleh announces candidacy for sixth term". Le Monde. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  8. ^ "Djibouti's Guelleh faces only low-profile rival in presidential ballot". Africanews. 2026-03-19. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
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