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Rabat – Polisario’s Brahim Ghali faced embarrassment as Mauritania’s re-elected president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, avoided taking a photo with the separatist leader.
The incident took place during Ghazouani’s inauguration held in Nouakchott on Thursday.
Despite shaking hands with the Mauritanian president, the separatist leader was seemingly ignored as Ghazouani subtly sidestepped the moment. President Ghazouani nodded briefly to thank Ghali but deftly avoided any posed photograph.
A video of the incident went viral, highlighting the growing isolation of the separatist group amid Morocco’s increasing momentum on the continental and global stages.
President El Ghazouani secured a second term as Mauritania’s leader in the country’s latest election, winning 56.12% of the vote in the first round.
Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch attended the inauguration ceremony, representing King Mohammed VI.
One of the main parties to the Western Sahara dispute, Mauritania maintains good diplomatic relations with Morocco.
The current Mauritanian leadership has constantly reiterated its readiness to further cement cooperation with Rabat.
However, this trend of deepening ties between the two countries has been continually challenged by Algeria and the separatist Polisario Front.
In particular, the Algerian regime has shown little or no qualms about intervening in Mauritanian domestic affairs to force the country out of its apparent desire to maintain its evolving strategic cooperation with Morocco.
As well as financing and arming the Polisario Front, Algeria notoriously deploys an aggressive diplomatic activism to stave off or undermine ongoing UN-led efforts to find a lasting political solution to the Sahara dispute in line with Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
As part of this strategy, the Algerian regime often uses lobbying to boost its anti-Morocco stance in the international community, including in countries like Mauritania.
As things currently stand, however, Mauritania has notably avoided aligning itself with Algeria’s anti-Moroccan policies.
The snubbing of the separatist leader during the inauguration ceremony of the Algerian president comes amid an alarmingly increasing series of setbacks for both Polisario and Algeria.
Earlier this week, Algeria suffered a heavy diplomatic blow as France officially announced its decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
In response, Algeria furiously announced the immediate withdrawal of its ambassador from Paris and threatened sanctions against France.
Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf said on Wednesday:
“This is not a recall of the ambassador for consultation. It is a reduction in diplomatic representation. It is a significant step to express our condemnation and disapproval.”
He fumed that the French decision “does not serve the peaceful resolution of the Western Sahara issue.”
