Djibouti's long-serving president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, will seek a sixth term in office in next year's election, a move enabled by a recent parliamentary decision to remove presidential age limits. Guelleh, in power since 1999, is expected to win re-election as the country's political landscape is largely controlled by the ruling party.

• Guelleh won the 2021 election with 97 per cent of the vote, and his party, the Union for the Presidential Majority, controls parliament.
• The National Assembly President Dileita Mohamed Dileita confirmed Guelleh's candidacy after a congress of the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP).
• The country's parliament recently removed the 75-year age limit for presidential candidates, having previously abolished the two-term limit in 2010.
• Djibouti ranks 168th out of 180 in Reporters Without Borders' 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
• The tiny Horn of Africa nation is strategically important, hosting military bases for the United States, France, China, Japan, and Italy.