Djibouti is a republic ruled by a powerful president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has been in office since 1999 and is not subject to term limits. While the country technically has a multiparty political system, the ruling Union for a Presidential Majority (UMP) uses authoritarian means to maintain its dominant position. The opposition’s ability to operate is severely constrained, and journalists and activists who air criticism of Guelleh or the UMP are regularly harassed or arrested.

• Human rights groups’ activities remained restricted during the year, and speech deemed contrary to the interests of the Guelleh regime was not tolerated. Tim Loughton, a visiting member of the British Parliament, said in April that Djiboutian authorities had detained and deported him due to his longtime criticism of China’s government, which maintains an important military base and substantial economic investments in Djibouti.
• In September, a delegation of United Nations experts visited the country to monitor governmental and civil society efforts to further reduce the practice of female genital mutilation. Prevalence among girls aged 14 and younger had reportedly decreased from 43 percent to 31 percent between 2012 and 2019.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.