The fledgling opposition had called for a nationwide boycott, vowing not to accept the foregone conclusion of his re-election for a second six-year mandate.

In legislative elections in 2003, the opposition failed to win a single seat in Parliament but insists it received support from 45 percent of voters. This year it was kept out of the process.

Despite having no opponent, the 57-year-old incumbent had kept up a hectic campaign pace, vowing to reduce poverty and dependency on imported food. He has also pledged to step down after his second term.

Since coming to power in 1999, Guelleh has turned Djibouti into a key western ally in the war on terrorism.

A key staging post between the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal as well as the Indian Ocean, the country is home to France's largest overseas military base and the only U.S. military base in Africa.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 16, 2005
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