President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has announced a new government for Djibouti following his re election in April 2026, unveiling a 26 member cabinet that includes eight women and one secretary of state.
The appointments were confirmed on Sunday through a presidential decree signed by Guelleh after securing another term in office.
Several prominent officials retained key positions in the reshuffled administration. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh remained Minister of Economy and Finance, while Abdoulkader Houssein Omar was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and will also serve as government spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Hassan Omar Bourhan kept his role as Defence Minister, and Omar Abdi Said was named Minister of the Interior.
The new cabinet reflects stronger female representation in government, with seven women appointed as ministers and one serving as secretary of state.
Mouna Osman Aden was appointed Minister of Health after previously working in the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs. Hana Farah Assoweh will now oversee the Women and Family portfolio, while Ouloufa Ismail Abdo was named Minister of Social Affairs and Solidarity.
Other women appointed to senior government roles include Amina Abdi Aden as Minister of Urbanism and Housing, Fardoussa Moussa Egueh as Minister of Youth and Culture, Safia Mohamed Ali Gadileh as Minister of Digital Economy and Innovation, and Mariam Hamadou Ali as Minister of Investments and Private Sector Development.
Fatouma Ali Abdallah was appointed Secretary of State for Sports.
The cabinet marks the first government formed since Guelleh’s victory in the April 10, 2026 presidential election. Running under the banner of the Union for the Presidential Majority, Guelleh won 97.81 percent of the vote, defeating opposition candidate Mohamed Farah Samatar of the Unified Democratic Centre, who secured 2.19 percent.
Guelleh, 78, has led Djibouti since 1999. His latest re election came after constitutional reforms removed the presidential age limit, enabling him to run for another term.
