President Salva Kiir boards aircraft at Juba International Airport ahead of his departure for Djibouti on Friday morning – photo credit: Office of the President.

President Salva Kiir has travelled to Djibouti to participate in the swearing in of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who is set to be inaugurated for a sixth term tomorrow.

The President left Juba for Djibouti City this morning to attend the inauguration ceremony, according to his office.

President Guelleh, who has ruled the country since 1999, won a landslide victory in the April election, securing 97.81 percent of the votes cast.

According to a statement from President Kiir’s office, while in Djibouti, Kiir is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Djiboutian leader to strengthen relations between the two countries, with emphasis on economic cooperation and regional collaboration.

The statement added that South Sudan and Djibouti share a common vision for peace, stability and economic growth in the Horn of Africa.

It said Djibouti holds a strategic geoeconomic position as the gateway to the international community, with significant potential to improve South Sudan’s access to seaports and facilitate the export of goods, while boosting regional integration.