Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has congratulated Ismail Omar Guelleh on his re-election as president of Djibouti.
Guelleh has won re-election with 97.8 percent of the vote, state-owned Radio Television Djibouti said on Saturday, handing him a sixth term that extends his 27-year rule over the small but strategically located East African country.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the AU said Youssouf took note of the official results announced by Djibouti’s electoral authority, which confirmed the outcome of the presidential election.
Youssouf commended the people of Djibouti for their “peaceful participation in the electoral process, underscoring their continued commitment to democratic governance, national cohesion, and stability.”
Acknowledging Djibouti’s important role in advancing regional peace, security, and cooperation in the Horn of Africa, he extended his best wishes to President Guelleh for a successful term in office.
Youssouf also commended the AU Election Observation Mission to Djibouti for its professionalism. The AU has deployed a 47-member mission, led by former Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza, to monitor the country’s presidential election.
According to Djibouti’s Ministry of Interior, Guelleh defeated his opponent, Mohamed Farah Samatar, presidential candidate for the Unified Democratic Center, who won 2.19 percent of the vote.
The Red Sea nation, a small country at the mouth of the Horn of Africa and with a population of about one million, is a major hub for international commerce and a key partner in the fight against sea piracy and transnational terrorism.
MG/abj/APA