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President of Djibouti
Emblem of Djibouti.svg
Coat of Arms
Ismail Omar Guelleh 2018.jpg
Incumbent
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh

since 8 May 1999
Abbreviation POD
Residence Presidential Palace, Djibouti
Seat Djibouti
Term length 5 years
renewable
Inaugural holder Hassan Gouled Aptidon
Formation 27 June 1977
Salary 1,777,200 Djiboutian francs/10,000 USD annually
Website https://www.presidence.dj/


The President of Djibouti is the country's main leader. This person is both the head of state and the head of government. They also lead the country's military, known as the Djibouti Armed Forces. Since Djibouti became a republic in 1977, there have been only two presidents. The current president is Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, who has been in office since 1999.

Becoming President

The first president of Djibouti was Hassan Gouled Aptidon. He was a key leader of a group called the Ligue Populaire Africaine pour l'Indépendance (LPAI). He became president on June 27, 1977. This was the same day Djibouti officially became an independent republic.

Presidential Term Limits

For a while, the Constitution of Djibouti said a president could only serve two terms. A "term" is a period of time someone holds office. However, this rule was changed in 2010. Now, there is no limit to how many terms a president can serve.

Who Has Been President?

Here is a list of the presidents of Djibouti since the country became independent.

Political parties

     People's Rally for Progress (PRP)

No. Portrait Name
(Born–Died)
Elected Time in Office Political Party
(Group)
Started Office Left Office Total Time
Flag of Djibouti.svgRepublic of Djibouti (1977–present) • Coat of arms of Djibouti.svg
1
Hassan Gouled Aptidon in 26 June 1977
Hassan Gouled Aptidon
Hassan Gouled Aptidon
(1916–2006)
1981, 1987, 1993 27 June 1977 8 May 1999 21 years, 315 days RPP
2
Ismail Omar Guelleh 2018
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
(born 1947)
1999, 2005, 2011, 2016, 2021 8 May 1999 Incumbent 26 years, 48 days RPP
(UMP)

Timeline of Presidents

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Hassan Gouled Aptidon

Latest Election Results

To learn more about how the most recent president was chosen, you can look at the results of the 2021 Djiboutian presidential election. 2021 Djiboutian presidential election

More About Djibouti's Leaders

  • History of Djibouti
  • Politics of Djibouti
  • List of prime ministers of Djibouti
  • First Lady of Djibouti
  • French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (FTAI)
  • French Somaliland
    • List of governors of French Somaliland
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