Election officials in Djibouti say President Ismail Omar Guelleh has been re-elected, giving him an unprecedented third term leading the small Red Sea state. The Djibouti Ministry of the Interior reports that the president received about 80 percent of the April 8th vote to 20 percent for Mohamed Warsama, former president of the Constitutional Court.
The United States looks forward to reviewing the findings of the independent election observers who monitored the balloting, which was boycotted by some opposition parties unhappy with President Guelleh's decision to run again. Observers from the African Union, League of Arab States and other groups followed the vote, including 50 from the U.S. Embassy there.
The United States supports the right of the people of Djibouti to choose their own president, and at the same time has strongly advocated that the government expand the political space and allow the opposition to participate fully in electoral competition. We believe that steady political reform will enhance stability in this strategically important country.
We look forward to continuing a U.S. Agency for International Development program there on elections and political processes, with a view of enhancing free and fair competition for the regional council elections and parliamentary elections in the coming years.
Djibouti Votes
A Djiboutian casts his vote for president in Djibouti, East Africa, Friday, April 8, 2011.
Election officials in Djibouti say President Ismail Omar Guelleh has been re-elected, giving him an unprecedented third term leading the small Red Sea state.