By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
DJIBOUTI, August 20, 2026 Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has congratulated Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on his re-election in the August 13, 2026 general election.
In a congratulatory message sent to his Zambian counterpart, on Thursday, President Guelleh said Hichilema’s victory demonstrated the support of the Zambian people for his leadership and political vision. He also expressed hope that the renewed mandate given to Hichilema would contribute to the Zambian government’s efforts to advance development and economic growth.
Zambia’s Electoral Commission announced on August 18 that Hichilema had won the presidential election after securing 2,965,326 votes, representing 61.4% of the ballots cast. His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, received 1,856,217 votes, or nearly 38%. The result allowed Hichilema to be declared president-elect after surpassing the constitutional threshold of 50% plus one vote, avoiding the need for a runoff election.
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Hichilema was first elected President of Zambia in August 2021. By the time of the August 2026 election, he had therefore served as president for nearly five years. Hichilema will now remain in office until 2031.
President Guelleh also reaffirmed the commitment of the government and people of Djibouti to further strengthen friendship and cooperation with Zambia.