Ismaïl Omar Guelleh is a 2nd present President of Djibouti since 8 May 1999.
Preceeded by: Hassan Gouled Aptidon.
Date of Birth: 27 November 1946.
Birth Place: Dire Dawa, British Ogaden.
Party: People’s Rally for Progress
Family: Kadra Mahamoud Haid (Spouse)
About: Ismal Omar Guelleh has been characterized as a Dictator, and his rule has been criticized by human rights groups and governments, such as the United States. He is a close ally of France. On January 25, 2019, for his role in the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Yemen, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
His father was one of the first native teachers in the 1930s before working, following his father’s path, on behalf of the Franco-Ethiopian Railway Company (CFE), which built the line connecting Djibouti to Addis Ababa and whose head office was in Dire Dawa. When Guelleh was younger, he attended a traditional Islamic school. In 1960, Guelleh migrated to Djibouti before finishing high school. In 1964, at the age of 18, Ismail Omar Guelleh began working in the General Information Department of the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas because he spoke Amharic, Somali, Arabic, French, Italian, and English.
He was suspended from his duties because he was suspected of transmitting information to the independence movement in 1975. He then became involved in the African People’s League for Independence (LPAI), chaired by Hassan Gouled Aptidon, which campaigns for independence.
