Djibouti's parliament voted unanimously to lift a presidential age limit on Sunday, opening the way for leader Ismail Omar Guelleh to run for a sixth term.

Guelleh, known as IOG, has held power since 1999 in the Horn of Africa nation, a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, and China.

Djibouti's Constitution says the head of state cannot run for office after 75, which would have prevented Guelleh, 77, from running in the next election in April 2026.

But an amendment to remove the age limit was backed by all 65 parliamentarians present on Sunday, Speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita told AFP.

'I love my country too much': Ismail Omar Guelleh

The president can choose to approve the decision or call a referendum.

If approved, parliament will confirm the decision with a second vote, expected on November 2.

Guelleh left the door open to another five-year term in an interview this May with The Africa Report.

"All I can tell you is that I love my country too much to embark on an irresponsible adventure and be the cause of divisions," he said.

President won last election with 97% of the vote

Speaker Dileita told AFP the constitutional change was necessary to ensure "the stability of the country in a troubled region, the Horn of Africa."

"I think more than 80 percent of the population supports this," he said.

In April 2021, Guelleh was re-elected with more than 97% of the vote.

His party, the Union for the Presidential Majority, holds the majority of parliamentary seats.

Strategic role

Guelleh succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the founding father of Djibouti's independence, in 1999 after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.

One of the least populated countries on the continent with one million people, Djibouti plays a strategic role in the region.

It lies opposite Yemen at the mouth of the Red Sea, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which passes a large part of global trade between Asia and the West.