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Djibouti Parliament Votes to Lift Presidential Age Limit

Djibouti's parliament has voted to quash a constitutional provision which prevents the head of state from running for office after the age of 75. The vote paves the way for the country's 77-year-old leader, Ismail Omar Guelleh, to run for a sixth term in the April 2026 election.

In an interview earlier this year, the president left the door open to seek another five-year term: "All I can tell you is that I love my country too much to embark on an irresponsible adventure and be the cause of divisions".

With a population of one million people, Djibouti is one of Africa's smallest countries, but one with a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, and China.

InFocus

Ilyas Ahmed/AMISOM

President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh.

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