# Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (Ismaaciil Cumar Geelle)

> Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (born 1947): President of Djibouti since 1999, his years as chief of staff to Hassan Gouled Aptidon, and his six elections.

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Last checked: 2026-11-12
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## Who is he?

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is the second President of Djibouti. He took office on 8 May 1999, succeeding [Hassan Gouled Aptidon](/en/people/hassan-gouled-aptidon/), who had led the country since independence in 1977 ([World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html)). Gouled was his uncle ([Wikipedia, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isma%C3%AFl_Omar_Guelleh)). This page covers his public offices and elections.

## Early career

He was born on 27 November 1947 in Dire [Dawa](/en/regions/dawa-river/), Ethiopia, and moved to [French Somaliland](/en/relations/france/) in 1960 (Wikipedia). In 1964 he began working for the territory's general information service. Wikipedia records that he was suspended in 1975 on suspicion of passing information to the independence movement, and that he then joined the African People's League for Independence (LPAI), led by Gouled (same source).

After independence in 1977 he became head of the security service and chief of staff to President Gouled, a post he held for more than twenty years (Wikipedia). He was named as Gouled's intended successor during the 1990s (same source; [Wikipedia, Hassan Gouled Aptidon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Gouled_Aptidon)).

## Becoming President, 1999

On 4 February 1999 Gouled announced that he would retire, and the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP) chose Guelleh as its candidate. Standing for the RPP and the moderate wing of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD), he won the election of 9 April 1999 with 74.02% of the vote against Moussa Ahmed Idriss, and took office on 8 May (Wikipedia). Wikipedia credits him with brokering the agreement of 2000 that ended the post-independence armed conflict (same source). His first two Prime Ministers were [Barkat Gourad Hamadou](/en/people/barkat-gourad-hamadou/) and [Dileita Mohamed Dileita](/en/people/dileita-mohamed-dileita/).

## Later elections

He was the only candidate in the April 2005 election (Wikipedia). In 2010 the National Assembly amended the constitution so that he could stand for a third term, and he was re-elected in 2011 and 2016, in elections that the opposition boycotted (same source).

In April 2021 he won a fifth term. Provisional results gave him 98.58% of the vote. The main opposition parties boycotted the election, and his only challenger, the businessman Zakaria Ismail Farah, questioned whether the count was transparent ([Al Jazeera, 10 April 2021](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/10/veteran-ruler-guelleh-re-elected-djibouti-leader-for-fifth-term)). Human rights groups and opposition parties have criticised his government, according to Al Jazeera and Wikipedia.

On 10 April 2026 he was elected to a sixth term with 97.81% of the vote. He was sworn in on 9 May 2026 and named a new cabinet on 17 May (Wikipedia).

## Offices held

- Chief of staff to the President of Djibouti, from 1977 to 1999
- President of Djibouti, since 8 May 1999. See [Presidents and Prime Ministers of Djibouti](/en/institutions/leaders-of-djibouti/).

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