Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh is expected to extend his two-decade rule of the tiny Horn of Africa nation as the country heads to the polls Friday.

Guelleh, 73, is facing political newcomer Zakaria Ismail Farah, his only rival after traditional opposition parties decided to boycott the election.

A businessman specialised in the importation of cleaning products, Farah, 56, is seen by observers as unlikely to pose a significant challenge to the strongman who has been in power for 22 years.

Djibouti is a largely desert country strategically situated on one of the world’s busiest trade routes and at the crossroads between Africa and the Arabian peninsula.

Border clashes between Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions have killed at least 100 people, a regional official said on Tuesday.

Around 100 civilians were killed since clashes broke out on Friday and continued through Tuesday.

Ahmed Humed, deputy police commissioner for the Afar region, blamed the violence on an attack by Somali regional forces.

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