Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has jumped to an early lead in the country’s presidential election. The early results, which rolled in from the nation’s electoral commission, show Ghazouani sitting pretty at 49%. His main challenger, the renowned anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, trails behind at 22.68%, with a measly 6.49% of the total votes counted so far.
What They Are saying
This drama unfolds in a country of 5 million, where Ghazouani, the 67-year-old ex-military man, is widely expected to coast to victory. After all, he’s been promising a flood of investment to kickstart a commodities boom and the production of natural gas. As he cast his vote in Nouakchott, Ghazouani said, “The last word belongs to the Mauritanian voters. I commit myself to respecting their choice.” But let’s be real—everyone knows how this is likely to end.
Back in 2019, Ghazouani snagged his first term and now faces six opponents, including Abeid, who garnered over 18% of the vote last time around. Other notable challengers are lawyer Id Mohameden M’Bareck, economist Mohamed Lemine El Mourtaji El Wafi, and Hamadi Sidi El Mokhtar from the Islamist Tewassoul party.
Why It Matters
The real battle, however, is between Ghazouani and Abeid. Abeid’s campaign hammers on human rights issues and the marginalization of Mauritania’s Black African population, while Ghazouani waves the stability flag, citing the calm he’s maintained compared to the chaos in neighboring Mali. As Ghazouani chairs the African Union, he promises to manage any Islamist threats and boasts that Mauritania has not faced a militant attack on his watch.
Mauritania’s registered voters number around 2 million, with key issues being corruption and youth unemployment. Ghazouani’s second-term promises include a natural gas-fired power plant from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyin project, renewable energy investments, and expansions in gold, uranium, and iron-ore mining.
Despite the opposition candidates’ cries for change, Ghazouani’s confidence seems unshakable. His ruling party’s landslide victory in last year’s legislative elections has only bolstered his re-election bid. According to Mucahid Durmaz, a senior West Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, “President Ghazouani will likely win the vote in the first round.”
And if no candidate crosses the 50% threshold? A second round will follow. But really, who’s betting on that happening? The opposition’s past accusations of vote tampering haven’t exactly rocked the boat. El Mokhtar, trailing in third with 14.42%, is already sharpening his rhetoric, declaring, “In case of fraud, we’ll not hesitate to call it a rigged election.”
Bottom Line
Stay tuned for more predictable results as Mauritania counts down to Ghazouani’s likely victory.
