Friday July 17, 2026
Djibouti City (AX) — Djibouti’s government is mourning the death of Defence and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Hassan Omar Mohamed Bourhan, who died in Paris on Thursday morning while undergoing medical treatment.
President Ismail Omar Guelleh hailed Bourhan as among the country’s most devoted and distinguished public officials.
“With the passing of the late Hassan Omar Mohamed, our country has lost one of its most loyal and accomplished public servants, whose unwavering commitment was always to advancing the general interest,” Guelleh said in a statement from his office.
The president also went to the hospital where Bourhan’s body was lying in repose to offer his final respects, according to the statement.
Prime Minister Abdoulkader Mohamed Kamil conveyed his condolences as well, remembering Bourhan as a faithful colleague, brother and committed servant of the state.
Kamil said the minister’s death creates a major gap within both the government and Djibouti’s armed forces.
Bourhan had led the Ministry of Defence and Parliamentary Affairs since 2019, with responsibility for the country’s defence policy and military matters.
Guelleh had recently reappointed him following the president’s re-election, keeping him in charge of the defence portfolio in the new 26-member Cabinet.
Before becoming defence minister, Bourhan served as minister of the interior.
