President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti's Family Network

The Indian Ocean Newsletter

We focus on the many of the Djibouti President’s close relatives who have made their way in business or hold important posts in the civil service.


President Ismael Omar Guelleh’s (IOG) many brothers and sisters constitute a veritable family elite, who very often have a helping hand from the head of State. IOG has, for example, imposed his brother, Youssouf Omar Guelleh known as Yuyé, as a top civil servant in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Djibouti. Yuyé is moreover active, in a private capacity, in the port of Djibouti.

Another of the President’s brothers, Guirreh Omar Guelleh is at the head of Guirreh Business Group and of several other companies: Madalmetal, Djibouti Steel Co and Goubet Trading Services. For his part, Saleh Omar Guelleh, who works for Djibouti water authority ONED, is also involved in the ports business. Meanwhile, Saad Omar Guelleh, a retired serviceman, is the head of the Djibouti port maintenance service and often plays a “clandestine” number two in this public body run by Dubai Port World.

One of the President’s sisters, Fatouma Omar Guelleh is married to Colonel Houssien Djama, who has private activity in victual supplies. Another of IOG’s sister and former wife of Colonel Omar Bouh, Muluka Omar Guelleh has just remarried with a Canadian singer, Omar Indayere.

Aynache Omar Guelleh, the Djibouti presidential couple’s only son, is still too young to follow parent’s footsteps. The two other children borne of IOG’s marriage with Kadra Mahamoud Haïd are both daughters, one o whom is beginning to make her way in the propert business in her mother’s footsteps. IOG has a son by a previous marriage, Liban Omar Guelleh, who has made his way in business. The head of the firm Cemex (specialised in importing Chinese vehicles), he works with Asian firms (like the South Korean Hanaro Telecom) and is active in real estate. But his relationship with his step-mother - the First Lady - is rather strained. She is even reported to have barred him from entering presidential palace.

One of IOG’s cousins, Djama Ali Guelleh, has been general manager of Electricité de Djibouti (EDD) for over twenty years, IOG also has a nephew, Bouh Idriss Omar Guelleh, the son of his late brother Idriss, who has taken over his father’s business interests and formed ties with the East European financiers who a few years ago created the Investment Bank of Africa in Djibouti. He is currently connected with the firm Africa Invest which invited a Tanzanian Bank to set up in Djibouti (ION 1270). IOG also has a niece who is married to the Minister for Agriculture, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed.