Djibouti's president to face only one candidate in presidential election

Just one candidate will challenge Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh in the country's presidential election next month, according to an official notice.

Djibouti has around one million people in a highly strategic location near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and is home to vital military bases for the United States, China, France and other nations.

Guelleh, 78, has ruled the country since 1999.

He will seek a sixth term on April 10 after lawmakers unanimously amended the constitution in November to remove the 75-year-old age limit.

The other candidate's party has no parliamentary seats

His only rival is Mohamed Farah Samatar, according to a decree published late on Wednesday in the official gazette.

Samatar is a former member of the ruling party and head of the Unified Democratic Center (CDU), a party with no seats in parliament.

Guelleh was re-elected with more than 97% of the presidential vote in 2021.

Alexis Mohamed, a former adviser to the head of state who resigned in September, had expressed interest in running for election. However, he did not submit his application.