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NOUAKCHOT, Mauritania – Mauritania’s presidential election concluded on Saturday with incumbent President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win, positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region plagued by coups and violence.
Ghazouani, a former army chief of staff and current African Union chairman, has pledged to deliver security and economic growth as he seeks re-election. He came to power in 2019 after the country’s first democratic transition in history and pledged on Saturday to respect the election results.
“The final decision lies with the Mauritanian electorate,” Ghazouani said after voting in the capital suburb of Ksar. “I promise to respect their choice.”
Observers said Saturday’s voting was peaceful and smooth, with a 40 percent turnout among 2 million eligible voters, and partial results are expected on Sunday.
Taghioullah Ledhem, spokesman for the country’s independent electoral commission, CENI, said: “So far, no problems have been found and CENI has not received any complaints.” But some opposition candidates hold different views.
“We noticed some irregularities in the voting, such as voting without ID cards, proxy voting and the expulsion of representatives of opposition candidates,” said Outouma Soumare, one of Gazouani’s opponents.
Although his opponents accuse him of corruption and mismanagement, he remains popular among Mauritanians, who see him as a beacon of stability. The vote comes at a particularly tense time in the region, with Mauritania’s neighbors rocked by military coups and jihadist violence.
“We can’t be deceived by the slogans of unreliable candidates,” said Marieme Brahim, a 38-year-old corporate executive who cast her vote for Ghazouani. “Mauritania must vote for continuity and stability, and to ensure national security in a volatile environment, and these candidates who have no experience in governance will not give us confidence.”
Ghazouani faces six opponents, including an anti-slavery activist, leaders of several opposition parties and a neurosurgeon, who accuse the government of corruption and nepotism.
FILE – Presidential candidate Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid (center) attends a rally of supporters in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on June 24, 2024. He is one of several candidates running against the incumbent president.
Mauritania has abundant natural resources, including iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphates, gold, oil and natural gas. The country is expected to become a natural gas producer by the end of this year, with the BP-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim offshore natural gas project scheduled to start up on the country’s border with Senegal.
However, according to the United Nations, nearly 60% of the population lives in poverty, either as farmers or working in the informal sector. With few economic opportunities for young people in the country, many try to cross the Atlantic to Europe, and some even try to reach the United States via Mexico.
Mohamed Lemine Ould Moktar, 45, who cast his vote for the opposition candidate, has two sons and is unemployed despite having a university degree.
“I’m just voting for change. We’ve had enough of the same old regimes that squander people’s assets and breed corruption,” Ould Moctar said. “Just look at the more than 40,000 young Mauritanians who have climbed over the U.S.-Mexico border wall and are on their way to the United States. That’s why I’m voting for change.”
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