Djibouti defence minister Bourhan dies in Paris hospital

Djibouti’s Minister of Defence Hassan Omar Mohamed Bourhan has died. The minister passed away on Thursday morning in Paris, where he was receiving medical treatment, the government announced.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh has paid tribute to the late minister.

“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,” President Guelleh was quoted as saying in a statement from his office.

The statement added that the president had travelled to the hospital where the minister's body was lying in repose to "pay his last respects."

In a condolence message, Djibouti Prime Minister Abdoulkader Mohamed Kamil described Bourhan as a loyal colleague, brother and dedicated public servant whose passing leaves a “significant void in the government and the armed forces.”

Hassan Omar Mohamed Bourhan served as Djibouti’s Minister of Defence and Parliamentary Affairs since 2019 and oversaw defence policy and military affairs.

He was recently reappointed by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh after the president’s re-election, retaining his defence portfolio in the new 26-member Cabinet.

The late defence minister had previously served as minister of the interior.