Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Re-elected in First Round

Marrakech – According to provisional final results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on Monday, incumbent President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has been re-elected for a second term in Mauritania with 56.12% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election held on June 29.

President Ghazouani, a seasoned 67-year-old military veteran, secured his victory over his main rival, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who obtained 22.1% of the vote.

The Islamist candidate from the Tawassoul party – the main opposition party in the National Assembly – Hamadi Ould Sidi El Mokhtar, came in third place with 12.78% of the vote.

In a video statement released by his campaign team, Ghazouani pledged to be “a president for all Mauritanians without exception or discrimination” and to continue his policy of “outstretched hand and the approach of consultation, dialogue, and partnership with all political actors, including competitors in the 2024 presidential election.”

The CENI, which states that it prides itself on the transparency and calm of the election, has published the minutes of the polling stations on its website. The voter turnout stood at 55.39%, a decrease from the 62.63% recorded in the 2019 election.

However, as reported by AFP, Biram Dah Abeid has rejected the results announced by the CENI, alleging massive fraud.

His supporters protested in some areas on the outskirts of the capital, Nouakchott, and were dispersed by police forces. Dah Abeid’s campaign headquarters remains surrounded by police, and his spokesperson has been arrested.

The results are yet to be validated by the Constitutional Council, but are required to be transmitted within 48 hours.

If confirmed, Ghazouani, who first won the presidency in 2019 with just under 52% of the vote, will lead this vast desert country at the crossroads of North and sub-Saharan Africa for another five years.

Mauritania has been a stable nation in the troubled Sahel region and is set to become a gas producer in the near future.

During his first term, which was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Ghazouani prioritized aid to the most disadvantaged and youth.

With favorable economic prospects, he states that he hopes to implement further reforms during his second five-year term. The World Bank estimates that growth should average 4.9% over the 2024-2026 period, thanks to the start of gas production in the second half of 2024.

Mauritania experienced a series of coups from 1978 to 2008 before the 2019 election marked the first transition between two elected presidents. The country has not suffered a jihadist attack on its soil since 2011, while such attacks have multiplied in neighboring Mali and elsewhere in the Sahel.