By Maher Ahmed - Reporter
Djibouti, 11 January 2026 - Hundreds of health workers gathered at Djibouti’s People’s Palace on Saturday to formally endorse President Ismaël Omar Guelleh’s bid for the 2026 presidential election, signaling an early start to the campaign season in the Horn of Africa nation.
The rally, titled "Health Professionals for Continuity with IOG 2026," was attended by Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed and Health Minister Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh. It follows a series of similar coordinated events held across regional capitals.
"This mobilization clearly illustrates the support of health professionals for continuity," Minister Abdilleh told the crowd, citing what he described as significant advancements in the national healthcare system under the current administration.
Prime Minister Mohamed, who also serves as President of the ruling Union for a Presidential Majority (UMP) coalition, delivered a message on behalf of Guelleh, thanking medical staff for their "unwavering support" and public service.
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Guelleh, 78, has been in power since 1999. While the presidential election is scheduled for April 2026, the ruling party has already begun a concerted effort to consolidate its base.
Supporters at the event carried banners and chanted slogans calling for a new mandate, framed by the government as essential for maintaining stability and ongoing development projects.
Djibouti, which hosts military bases for the United States, China, and France, remains a key diplomatic and logistics hub in the region. Critics of the administration have previously raised concerns over the lack of political plurality, though the government maintains that its policies have secured the country's economic growth and modern infrastructure.
A video presentation at the ceremony highlighted recent investments in the Djibouti University Hospital Center and other rural health initiatives as the primary justification for the "continuity" campaign.
