Ismail Omar Guelleh sworn in as Djibouti president

Ismail Omar Guelleh on Saturday was inaugurated as Djibouti's president to serve another five-year term. Guelleh garnered 97 percent of the vote in last month's election to secure a fifth term in office.

Several African heads of state attended the ceremony, including Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Roble and South Sudan Vice-President Rebecca Nyandeng Garang De Mabior. The swearing-in was held at the Presidential Palace in Djibouti.

In his inauguration address, Guelleh called on African nations to unite and embrace integration to achieve the continent's development aspirations.

"Africa will be powerful if it is united. It will be rich if we are together, if our countries cooperate and complement each other in pursuit of our common vision of strong and efficient states," Guelleh said.

He reiterated Djibouti's commitment to the various continental multilateral initiatives aimed at building a resilient African economy, among them the African Continental Free Trade Area.

"We must work together relentlessly to safeguard this peace and stability. We must nurture our commitment to developing a continent of peace and stability," he added.

Guelleh also called for a speedy resolution of the conflicts affecting parts of Africa, saying peace and stability are a pre-requisite for the continent's sustainable economic and social development.