Djibouti will see just one opposition candidate challenge long-time leader Ismaïl Omar Guelleh in next month’s presidential election
Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, is running for a sixth term after lawmakers removed the constitutional age limit that previously barred candidates over 75
His only opponent will be Mohamed Farah Samatar a former ruling party member who now leads the opposition Unified Democratic Center a party without representation in parliament
The election is scheduled for April 10 in the strategically located Horn of Africa nation which sits near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and hosts key military bases for global powers including the United States China and France
Guelleh previously secured more than 97 percent of the vote in the 2021 election reinforcing his long-standing dominance in the country’s political landscape
Another potential contender Alexis Mohamed had shown interest in running but ultimately did not submit an application
Source: TRT Africa
