President Paul Kagame on Sunday, April 12, held a phone conversation with his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh, during which he congratulated him on his re-election as president of the Horn of Africa nation.

"Held a call this afternoon with my brother, President @IsmailOguelleh, during which I extended my congratulations on his re-election as President of Djibouti," the Rwandan leader wrote in a post on X.

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He added, "I look forward to continuing to deepen the strong, longstanding ties between the people of Djibouti and Rwanda, and to working closely together to advance our shared priorities for growth and prosperity."

Guelleh, 78, secured another five-year term after winning 97.8 per cent of the vote, according to preliminary results of the April 10 elections. His main challenger received just over two per cent.

Voter turnout exceeded 80 per cent.

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Djibouti has built close diplomatic and economic ties with Rwanda over the years.

These ties have grown through a number of agreements signed in 2017 and 2023, covering areas such as agriculture, tourism, ICT, and investment.

Leaders from both countries have continued to stress the need to expand trade and strengthen regional integration, especially within Eastern Africa, while also exploring cooperation in transport and investment.