Ahmed, on his Twitter account, extended his congratulations and best wishes to Guelleh for his leadership and service to the people of Djibouti.

“May the long-standing friendship and strategic alliance between Ethiopia and Djibouti continue to strengthen for the mutual prosperity of our peoples and the peace and stability of our region,” the post concluded.

The president reached more than 98 percent of the vote in the election against opposition candidate Mohamed Farah Samatar.

A total of 67 international observers monitored the process on behalf of regional and international organizations, including the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. According to Djibouti’s Ministry of the Interior, 256,467 voters registered nationwide, including over 162,000 in the capital.

Voting took place at 712 polling stations, 413 of which were located in the capital, highlighting the country’s highly concentrated urban electorate.

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