Ismail Omar Guelleh

Infobox President
name = Ismail Omar Guelleh

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caption = Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh shake hands at the Presidential residence in Djibouti
order = President of Djibouti
primeminister = Barkat Gourad Hamadou
Dileita Mohamed Dileita
term_start = 08 May 1999
predecessor = Hassan Gouled Aptidon
birth_date = birth date and age|1947|11|27|df=y
birth_place = Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
party = RPP

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (Somali: "Ismaaciil Cumar Geelle." Arabic: اسماعيل عُمر جليه) (born November 27, 1947 [http://www.presidence.dj/biographie.htm Biography at Presidency website] fr icon.] ) is the President of Djibouti. He succeeded his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999.

Background

Guelleh was born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. [http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2005/211/08.shtml "Reality Check On Ismail Omar Guelleh"] , "Somaliland Times", Issue 211, 4 February 2006.] In the late 1960s, Guelleh migrated to Djibouti before finishing high school. He later joined the police, becoming a junior non-commissioned officer. After Djibouti became independent, he became head of the secret police and chief of the cabinet in the government of Hassan Gouled Aptidon.He received training from the Somali National Security Service and then from the French Secret Service, and was intended to become his uncle's successor. "The key to Guelleh's success is the skillful way in which he has played the cards in his strong hand", according to PINR. "As the head of Djibouti's security agency under his uncle's regime, Guelleh gained an intimate knowledge of the country's political forces and has used it to practice a politics of divide and rule, supplemented by repression and intimidation when expedient."

Presidency

On February 4 1999, President Gouled Aptidon announced that he would retire at the time of the next election, and an extraordinary congress of his party, the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP), chose Guelleh as its presidential candidate. ["Djibouti: President Gouled Aptidon to retire in April after 22 years in power", AFP (nl.newsbank.com), February 4, 1999.] As the joint candidate of the RPP and moderate wing of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD), Guelleh won the presidential election held on April 9 1999 with 74.02% of the vote, defeating his only challenger, the independent candidate Moussa Ahmed Idriss. [ [http://www.presidence.dj/page274.html "Proclamation du Président de la République de Djibouti par le Conseil Constitutionnel."] , Journal Officiel de la République de Djibouti fr icon.] [http://africanelections.tripod.com/dj.html Elections in Djibouti] , African Elections Database.] He took office on May 8. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=6536 "SUDAN: President holds weekend talks with Ethiopia"] , IRIN, May 11, 1999.]

In December 2000, Guelleh sacked the chief of staff of the National Police Force, Yacin Yabeh; policemen loyal to Yacin unsuccessfully rebelled following his dismissal. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=949 "Witnesses describe “coup attempt”"] , IRIN, December 8, 2000.]

Guelleh was nominated by the RPP as its presidential candidate for a second time on October 7, 2004, at an Extraordinary Congress of the party. He was backed by several other parties [ [http://www.lanation.dj/news/2004/ln119/national.htm "Le RPP plébiscite son candidat"] , "La Nation", October 11, 2004 fr icon.] and was the only candidate in the presidential election held on April 8, 2005. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=53628 "No challengers for Guelleh as presidential campaign kicks off"] , IRIN, March 29, 2005.] Without a challenger, he won 100% of the ballots cast and was sworn in for a second six-year term, which he said would be his last, on May 7. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=54298 "Guelleh sworn in for second presidential term"] , IRIN, May 9, 2005.]

See also

* Bernard Borrel

References