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The scenario of 2019 is thus repeating itself. After the first voting results were announced on June 29, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani won, while his main rival Biram Dah Abeid Condemns “election delays”. » On July 4, the outgoing president won with 56.12% of the votes. Confirmed by the Constitutional Council, The popular anti-slavery leader received 22.10% of the vote. The ballot pitted six candidates against each other and effectively turned into a duel between two men.
In Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, scuffles led to arrests, and in Kaédi, In the south of the country, three people died After the riots. The Ministry of the Interior, led by Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine, said in a press release on July 8 that “all arrested citizens” had been released. make sure “The security situation has returned to normal. » However, in the absence of further official communication, questions remain unanswered. Mauritanian authorities rarely respond quickly, out of caution.
fall Young AfricaForeign Minister Mohamed Salim Ould Merzoug chose to talk about the post-election situation. The head of state’s close collaborator served as interior minister from 2019 to 2022 before taking charge of foreign affairs. The country currently holds the chair of the African Union. interview.
Jeune Afrique: How do you explain the fact that, as in 2019, post-election riots are inevitable?
Mohamed Salim Ould Merzoug: All the lessons of the 2019 elections have been learned and the two situations cannot be compared. In fact, the President of the Republic has been using appeasement as a policy throughout his term. continuous It is part of its policies and dialogues and a principle of its actions. From the first months, it opened its doors to all actors and leaders of political parties and civil society, of all stripes and trajectories, in order to unlock new perspectives for our young democracy.
Remember, at that time Mauritanians no longer listened to each other. He reiterated to everyone that he wanted to solve all issues that would help consolidate national harmony without taboos. In September 2022, all political parties signed an agreement on the reform of the electoral law, the creation of a new electoral register and the establishment of a new Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni), jointly designated and guaranteeing transparency and the credibility of the ballot.
The event was organized for three days on March 10, 11 and 12. The country’s Regarding the consultations on preparations for the presidential elections and the promotion of political governance, all political parties, including unrecognized parties, participated in the consultations. No failures were found in the participation of candidate representatives at all stages. In addition, these representatives were transported and supported by the Electoral Commission to ensure the representation of all candidates in all polling stations.
But despite this, the results were questioned by the opposition…
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The counting of votes was done in the presence of polling station representatives who signed the counting record and took a copy. When the Election Commission announced the results, the same minutes were posted online, thereby making them available for everyone to view and check the results of the counting.
All candidates except one have attested to the transparency and credibility of the presidential election.
everything candidate, The transparency and credibility of the presidential elections were proven, with the exception of one. This was so evident that no one appealed to the Constitutional Council. Nevertheless, we were surprised to note disputes over the results that were not supported by the least material evidence. I can tell you that this was also the view of the international observers who worked completely independently.
If the score is not in President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani’s favour, will he accept defeat?
Absolutely. He publicly announced at an election rally that he would be the first to congratulate the winner and extend a brotherly hand. This was truly sincere and courageous, as he called on all Mauritanians to bear witness.
Little information has filtered out about recent post-election events. On July 8, Interior Minister famous Said that “all arrested citizens” had been released, but did not provide a specific number. However, Biram Dah Abeid spoke of the arrest of 1,500 supporters.
I would first like to draw your attention to the fact that the recent events are well known. The Ministry of the Interior regularly informs about them through press releases. Then, strictly speaking, no arrests have been made.
Instead, these are people arrested during law enforcement operations or suspected of participating in or inciting violence. The purpose is to take measures to maintain public order and protect people and property. All those arrested were released after being questioned by the police.
Police presence in Nouakchott has been significantly increased. Is it necessary to respond to the protests with force?
Safety system investment exist The deployment in the capital was not proportionate to that deployed in 2019. It was preventive, so there was no intention to respond to protests with force. Yes, there were some interventions, but they were all in response to violence against people and property.
The interior minister also mentioned “foreigners” who were involved in the violence. Who are we talking about?
Mauritania is an open, welcoming country. We have many foreign communities, especially West Africans, who are integrated with us. Unfortunately, some people were arrested during the violent actions of the demonstrators.
Officially, three people died in Kaédi, but civil society groups reported double that number or more.
Unfortunately, there were deaths in Kaedi, which is a sad fact. It is indeed unhealthy to go down a certain path. of The numbers are too high because for us, one death is always too many. The state has been very transparent on this issue, announcing the exact number of deaths, handing over the bodies to their parents, expressing condolences to the grieving families, and setting up an investigation committee. You know, in our country, everyone knows everyone. And it is impossible to hide the number of deaths.
In our country, everyone knows everyone. And it is impossible to hide the death toll.
Under what circumstances did they die?
Once again, a commission of inquiry has been set up and the matter has been referred to court. Once the conclusions are made public, everything will be completely transparent.
These incidents took place in Kaédi and therefore targeted black Mauritanians. Sections of civil society and associations accused the authorities of racism. What Do you answer?
I wonder if this wasn’t a witch trial? Because it’s obvious that protesters in a city reflect the socio-racial makeup of that city. Everyone knows that only thugs are targeted.
Why did the leadership of the Front for Change The party of former President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, Was she arrested?
All members of the leadership of this unrecognized organization were released without exception. We do not seek to judicialize everything, but to appease security and public order without compromise.
What is the first step to officially re-electing the president?
It is up to the President of the Republic to decide. But he has already set goals for the next five years: Youth. Innovation and good governance. The provision and quality of public services will be a constant concern. Security, Stablize Dialogue will be the keyword of this mission.
Will he continue the dialogue with Biram Dah Abeid?
Political dialogue is a constant in the President’s words and actions. He firmly reiterated this in his electoral program and the CENI immediately announced the results. Its social program is centered around democratic institutions and republican values, guaranteeing the country’s progress and prosperity in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
We firmly believe that our future is within reach and that our collective responsibility is to give it substance by consolidating and rebuilding our democratic institutions, eliminating inequalities, and maintaining national unity and cohesion in a space of social justice and territorial equity. It is this hope shared by the majority of Mauritanian citizens that has enabled us to Very Included.
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