Djibouti (Web Desk): Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has arrived in Djibouti to attend the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected President Ismail Omar Guelleh being held on Saturday.
A three-member delegation comprising Senator Dilawar Khan, Senator Fida Muhammad and Senator Ahmed Khan, will hold meetings with local leadership and Pakistani diaspora during its stay in Djibouti.
Last week, Guelleh was re-elected for a fifth term as president. He was first elected as President in 1999 as the handpicked successor to his uncle, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled Djibouti since independence in 1977.
Guelleh was re-elected in 2005, 2011, 2016 and in 2021; the 2011 election was largely boycotted by the opposition amid complaints over widespread irregularities. Guelleh has been characterized as a dictator, and his rule has been criticized by some human rights groups.
He was awarded with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award on 25 January 2019 for his role in the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Yemen.