Dictator
Ismail Omar Guelleh
Djibouti's president since 1999, repeatedly amending the constitution after pledging not to seek further terms.
Ismail Omar Guelleh has led Djibouti since 1999, succeeding his uncle, the country's first post-independence president. Despite pledging on multiple occasions not to seek additional terms, he has overseen constitutional amendments in 2010 and since to remove term limits, winning subsequent elections with vote shares regularly exceeding 85 to 97 percent amid a largely absent independent opposition or press.
Djibouti's strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea has made it host to multiple foreign military bases, including US, French, Japanese, and Chinese installations, generating substantial rent income that critics say has entrenched Guelleh's family and inner circle rather than broadly benefiting the population, a dynamic examined in reporting by The Economist's Africa desk.