( CNN ) -- Thousands of people marched in protest through Djibouti on Friday , rallying against the ruling elite as well as economic stagnation within the small African nation . `` The march was peaceful and diverse , '' said Aly Verjee , director of the international election observation mission to Djibouti , who witnessed the event . But riot police charged the crowd after the call to evening prayers , shooting canisters of tear gas at the demonstrators , he said . Protests in Djibouti , located along the Horn of Africa , began in late January and echo many of the same sentiments brewing among demonstrators protesting governments across North Africa and the Middle East . Protesters have called for President Ismail Omar Guelleh -- whose family has ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977 -- to step down ahead of the elections scheduled in April . On Friday , protesters marched to the main stadium in the city-state . Guelleh has held the post since 1999 and is seeking a third term . 'It was much larger than previous protests , '' Verjee said . Djibouti is a tiny country , but important to Western interests as it houses a U.S. Navy and French Navy base vital for the fight against Somali piracy and for monitoring neighboring Somalia . Djibouti 's strategic importance to the United States is substantial . It 's home to Camp Lemonnier , the only U.S. military base on the continent . The 88-acre former French military barracks is used as a staging ground for U.S. counterterrorism efforts including , reportedly , CIA drone attacks on al Qaeda terrorists . The facility is the headquarters for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa . More than 2,000 military personnel are stationed at Camp Lemonnier . They include members of the U.S. Army 218th Field Artillery Regiment and the Marine 9th Provisional Security Force . CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report .
The police responded with tear gas , he says . They are calling for the resignation of the president . President Guelleh and his family have ruled the country for 34 years . It is home to a major French military base .