Djibouti's second president, Guelleh, succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon in office in 1999.[15] Despite elections of the 1990s being described as "generally fair", Guelleh was sworn in for his second and final six-year term as president after a one-man election on 8 April 2005. He took 100% of the votes in a 78.9% turnout.
The prime minister, who follows the council of ministers ('cabinet'), is appointed by the President. The parliament – the Chambre des Députés – consists of 52 members who are selected every five to nine years.
In 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the former French military base Camp Lemonnier to the United States Central Command for operations related to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). In 2009, Central Command transitioned responsibilities in Africa to AFRICOM.
It is from Djibouti that Abu Ali al-Harithi, suspected mastermind of the 2000 USS Cole bombing,[citation needed] and the American citizen Ahmed Hijazi, along with four others persons, were killed in 2002 while riding a car in Yemen, by a Hellfire missile launched by an RQ-1 Predator drone provided by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[16][not in citation given] It is also from there that the American Army launched a few attacks in 2007 against enemy forces in Somalia.[citation needed]
France's 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion is based in Djibouti, but not in Djibouti City.
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