By Maher Ahmed - Reporter
DJIBOUTI, July 17, 2026 – Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh travelled to Paris on Thursday to pay his respects to Defence Minister Hassan Omar Mohamed, who died in France while undergoing medical treatment, according to the state-run Djiboutian News Agency (ADI).
Guelleh visited the hospital where the minister's body lay, paid his respects and offered prayers for the deceased, ADI reported.
In a statement, the president described Mohamed as "one of the country's most loyal and talented public servants," praising his commitment to public service and saying his work was guided by ethical principles rather than personal or community interests.
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Mohamed had served as Djibouti's Minister of Defence and Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament. Before joining the government about a decade ago, he held several senior public offices, including commissioner of the Tadjourah region and secretary-general of the Ministry of the Interior.
His death leaves the Djiboutian government without one of its longest-serving and most experienced senior officials. Authorities have not disclosed details about the illness for which he had been receiving treatment.
Djibouti, located at the entrance to the Red Sea, hosts several foreign military bases and plays a strategic role in regional security, making the defence ministry one of the country's most important government portfolios.