DJIBOUTI CITY– President Ismail Omar Guelleh has been sworn in for a sixth consecutive term after official results showed him winning 97 percent of the vote in an election largely boycotted by the opposition.
Guelleh, who has ruled the strategically located Horn of Africa nation since 1999, enters his new term facing a severe food security crisis.
A WFP report released Tuesday indicated that 22 percent of the population is facing “Crisis or Emergency” levels of hunger. As Djibouti imports 90 percent of its food, the economy is reeling from an 8 percent spike in vegetable oil prices and maritime disruptions in the Red Sea.
The nation’s role as a global military hub remains its primary economic lifeline. “Our geography is our oil,” government officials noted, defending the presence of multiple foreign military bases.
However, the escalating “shadow war” between regional powers and non-state actors in the Gulf of Aden has increased the risk to Djibouti’s maritime traffic.
Additionally, the IOM reported another migrant tragedy off the coast, with at least nine dead and dozens missing after smugglers forced asylum seekers into the sea.
The incident highlights the continued danger of the “Eastern Route” used by migrants attempting to reach the Arabian Peninsula.
