Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won a
landslide victory in an election criticised by opposition
parties and rights groups.
Officials said Mr Guelleh won 87% of Friday's vote,
which activists complained was preceded by political
repression and curbs on basic freedoms.
Mr Guelleh, in power since 1999, begins a fourth five-
year term in power.
He faced five rivals in the election, but three opposition
parties boycotted the poll.
The opposition complain of police brutality and media
bias under Mr Guelleh's rule.
"The people of Djibouti have again entrusted me with
the state's highest office," Mr Guelleh, 68, said in a
speech on national TV.
More on this and other African news stories
Djibouti election: What you need to know
Djibouti’s thin-skinned democracy
Djibouti's strategic position on the Gulf of Aden means
that it is home to US and French military bases.
The country is also seen as relatively stable in a region
which includes Somalia, where the government does
not control the whole country, and Yemen, where there
is a civil war.
Observers say this explains the muted criticism of
President Guelleh from the West.
Some 180,000 people were eligible to vote, around a
fourth of the population.
The opposition were angry that the president rescinded
his earlier decision not to seek another term.
His main rival, representing the opposition Union for
National Salvation (USN) coalition, was Omar Elmi
Kaireh, a Djibouti independence hero.
He came second, with 7%, according to provisional
results announced by Interior Minister Hassan Omar.
