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| Campaign signboards of Ismail Omar Guelleh, Djibouti president |
DJIBOUTI, Sept 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ismail Omar Guelleh, the Djiboutian president has been reported ill but the Minister of Foreign Affairs says it is as a result of fatigue and not as bad as it is being made to seem.
“President Ismail Omar Guelleh is fine. All informations circulating about his health situation is far from the reality. His is having a few days off and undergoing medical check up due to lack of rest for he did not leave the country during the whole summer,” Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssef tweeted.
“President Guelleh is going to resume his work in a few days time : there is no particular worry to have,” he added in a follow-up tweet.
The 74-year-old has been in office since 1999, making him one of the longest-serving presidents on the continent.
He won re-election for a fifth consecutive term in office during the last presidential in April 2021 by winning by more than 98% of the vote.
He was largely expected to win given that his main opponent was a largely unknown businessman, Zakaria Ismail Farah.
This time around it is most likely his last chance to be head of state before becoming ineligible — as per an age limit based on a 2010 constitutional reform. — NNN-AGENCIES
