Ismaïl Omar Guelleh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ismaïl Omar Guellé
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إسماعيل عمر جيله
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Guelleh in 2023
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| 2nd President of Djibouti | |
| Assumed office 8 May 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Barkat Gourad Hamadou Dileita Mohamed Dileita Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed |
| Preceded by | Hassan Gouled Aptidon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 November 1947 Dire Dawa, Ethiopia |
| Political party | People's Rally for Progress |
| Spouse | Kadra Mahamoud Haid |
| Relations | Ridwan Ismaïl Saala |
| Children | Haïbado Ismaïl Omar Fatouma-Awo Ismaïl Omar Nasir Omar Ismaïl Saalah (1st line) Ahmad Shaheer Mappingé (2nd line) |
Ismaïl Omar Guellé (Somali: Ismaaciil Cumar Geelle; Arabic: إسماعيل عمر جيله; born 27 November 1947) is a politician from Djibouti. He has been the President of Djibouti since 1999. This makes him one of the leaders who has served the longest in Africa. People often call him by his initials, IOG.
Guelleh first became President in 1999. He was chosen by his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had led Djibouti since it became independent in 1977. Guelleh was re-elected in 2005, 2011, 2016, and 2021. Many opposition groups did not take part in these elections. They complained about problems with how the elections were run. Some groups have criticized his leadership, and there have been concerns about human rights in Djibouti. On the international stage, he is a close friend of France.
He received the Padma Vibhushan award from India in 2019. This is India's second-highest award for civilians. He got it for helping to safely bring Indian citizens out of Yemen during its civil war.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Politics
Guelleh was born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. His family, the Mamassan subclan, is a powerful part of the Ciise Dir clan, which is a Somali ethnic group. His father, Omar Guelleh, was one of the first local teachers in the 1930s. Later, he worked for the Franco-Ethiopian Railway Company, which built the railway connecting Djibouti to Addis Ababa.
When Guelleh was young, he went to a traditional Islamic school. In 1960, he moved to Djibouti before finishing high school. In 1964, at 18, he started working for the French government in the area. He could speak many languages, including Amharic, Somali, Arabic, French, Italian, and English.
In 1975, he was suspended from his job. People thought he was sharing information with the independence movement. He then joined the African People's League for Independence (LPAI). This group was led by Hassan Gouled Aptidon and worked for Djibouti's independence. Guelleh was chosen for the LPAI’s main committee in 1983. He later became the head of a cultural group in Paris. By 1987, he was a member of the party's leadership.
After Djibouti became independent, he became the head of the secret police. He also became the chief of staff for his uncle, President Hassan Gouled Aptidon, for over 20 years. He was trained by the Somali and French secret services. He was expected to become his uncle's successor. He became President of Djibouti in 1999.
Presidency
Djibouti is one of a few countries in Africa where one family member has directly taken over from another as leader.
Becoming President: 1999 to 2005
On February 4, 1999, President Gouled Aptidon, Guelleh's uncle, announced he would retire. His political party, the People's Rally for Progress (RPP), then chose Guelleh as their candidate for president. Guelleh won the election on April 9, 1999, with 74.02% of the votes. He defeated Moussa Ahmed Idriss, who was the only other candidate. Guelleh officially took office on May 8.
In December 2000, Guelleh removed the head of the National Police Force, Yacin Yabeh. Some police officers who supported Yabeh tried to rebel, but they were not successful. Guelleh is also known for helping to create a lasting peace agreement that year. This agreement ended the country's ethnic conflict that had been going on since independence.
Second Term: 2005 to 2011
Guelleh was chosen by his party, the RPP, to run for president a second time on October 7, 2004. He was supported by several other parties and was the only candidate in the election on April 8, 2005. There were some small protests against the elections, but the police quickly stopped them. Since he had no opponent, Guelleh won 100% of the votes. He was sworn in for his second six-year term on May 7. He said at the time that this would be his last term.
However, in 2010, Guelleh convinced the National Assembly of Djibouti to change the country's Constitution. This change allowed him to run for a third term. This opened the way for him to be on the ballot in Djibouti's 2011 election. This also led to protests starting in 2010. These protests were similar to the larger movement for democracy in Arab countries. The protests were quickly stopped, and some opposition leaders were arrested.
Third Term: 2011 to 2016
Opposition parties did not take part in the 2011 election. This left only one less-known candidate running against Guelleh. Guelleh won almost 80% of the votes. Some human rights groups questioned if the election was fair because opposition leaders were jailed before the voting. Guelleh again stated that he would not run for another term.
Guelleh also won the 2016 election with about 87% of the votes. Like in earlier elections, the opposition groups asked for a country-wide boycott. They demanded that Guelleh hold "transparent, free, fair and just elections." Opposition leaders and human rights groups complained about harsh treatment and police violence before the elections. A BBC news team was arrested and sent away shortly before the vote after they interviewed an opposition leader.
Fourth Term: 2016 to 2021
He was re-elected for a fifth term in the 2021 election, winning by a large margin. Only one opposition candidate, Zakaria Ismail Farah, ran against him. Farah accused the government of cheating and stopping his team from watching the voting process. Other major opposition parties chose not to run candidates. They accused Guelleh of leading the country like a dictatorship.
Fifth Term: Since 2021
In June 2021, Guelleh made vaccination against COVID-19 required for everyone living in Djibouti, both citizens and foreign residents.
During that same month, Guelleh changed many of his country's ambassadors. He called back seven ambassadors and appointed new ones to several countries in the Middle East.
Who Will Lead Next?
Because Guelleh has been in power for a long time, people wonder who will become president after him. It is very likely that a trusted person from his close group will be chosen. For a while, his son-in-law and health minister, Djama Elmi Okieh, seemed to be the likely choice. However, since 2018, he is no longer considered the top choice. Now, Naguib Abdallah Kamil, who is the son of First Lady Kadra Mahamoud Haid from a previous marriage, is seen as a possible future leader.
By keeping the main political figures in their government jobs, Guelleh has increased the chance of power struggles within the government. Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and Finance Minister Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh are thought to be strong candidates for leadership before the next elections in 2026. Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is another possible candidate involved in these power struggles.
How Djibouti is Governed
Governance Style
During his time as president, Guelleh has placed members of his family in important political and economic jobs. His wife, Kadra Mahamoud Haid, plays a very important role, almost like a vice-president. His two daughters also have key roles: Haibado advises Guelleh, and Fatouma-Awo is very involved in the country’s businesses. His son-in-law, Djama Elmi Okieh, is the Minister of Health.
One of the President’s half-brothers, Saad Omar Guelleh, is the General Manager of the important Port of Djibouti. His first cousin, Djama Ali Guelleh, has been the Director General of the state-owned electricity company, Electricité de Djibouti (EDD), since 1986.
Because of this close connection between the government and his family, Guelleh has been able to control the country’s political, economic, and legal matters very strictly. He also has a strong hold on the police, military, and other security forces. This has ensured that his family's influence is strong in all public affairs.
The US government's 2020 report on Human Rights Practices mentioned concerns in Djibouti. These included issues with free speech, the press, and the internet.
Stronger Ties with China
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Guelleh has used Djibouti's important location for many years. The country has seen large investments in its ports and transportation. Since 2013, Guelleh has worked to build closer economic and political ties with China. This happened as China became more interested in the Middle East and Africa through its Belt and Road Initiative.
This competition between powerful countries has given Djibouti more options. However, China's influence has also grown. China opened a naval base in Djibouti in 2017. This has worried Djibouti's traditional Western allies. They are concerned that China's way of governing might encourage Guelleh to act more like an authoritarian leader.
The money invested by China has helped Guelleh's plan to develop Djibouti. This plan is based on the Singapore model. This model suggests that a strong government can bring wealth to a country through careful planning and focusing on economic growth, even if it means less democracy or human rights. Guelleh has often talked about following Singapore’s path. He hopes to make Djibouti the "Singapore of Africa" by using the Port of Djibouti's growing role as an important shipping hub.
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However, some experts believe that ongoing government corruption and favoring Chinese investors might stop this development plan from fully succeeding. For example, in 2012, the Djibouti government sold part of its Doraleh Container Terminal at the Port of Djibouti to a Chinese company. In February 2018, Guelleh took back the port's management from a company called DP World. He then gave control to a state-run company. That same year, using Chinese money, Djibouti also started a big project to build what is planned to be Africa’s largest free trade zone.
Economy
Guelleh's policy of attracting foreign investment for port and logistics has led to steady economic growth. However, this has created an economy that relies heavily on services and large investments. It has not created many jobs or exports. Unemployment remains a big problem, especially for young people. In 2015, the unemployment rate in Djibouti was 39 percent. Only 25 percent of people who could work had jobs. A more recent estimate suggests that unemployment for young people is as high as 80 percent.
Also, the investment projects that helped the economy grow were paid for with money borrowed from other countries. This has led to high levels of debt, especially to China.
The expansion of the Berbera port in Somaliland by DP World could reduce Ethiopia’s need to use Djibouti for much of its trade. This might affect the Port of Djibouti’s importance in the region. Guelleh has said he is not worried about this.
Regional Security
Under Guelleh’s leadership, Djibouti has remained a stable country in a region that often has conflicts. During his presidency, a peace agreement was signed between warring ethnic groups in 2000. Also, a long-standing border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea was resolved in 2018.
In 2020, Guelleh hosted peace talks for the leaders of Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Guelleh strongly supported Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the Tigray War. He said that Ahmed chose to "restore law and order" and punish those trying to break up the country. He believed that talks would only lead to Ethiopia splitting into smaller parts.
Personal Life
Ismail Guelleh is married and has four children.
He owns property in Dubai.
See also
In Spanish: Ismail Omar Guelleh para niños
