Mauritanians vote for president with the incumbent ally of the West

30/6/2024 7:41

        Mauritanians went to the polls on Saturday to elect their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence.
        
        Ghazouani, who is seeking reelection on the pledge of providing security and economic growth, is a former army chief and the current president of the African Union. He came to power in 2019 following the first democratic transition in the country’s history, and on Saturday promised to respect the results of the vote.
        
        "The last word belongs to the Mauritanian voters," Ghazouani said after voting in Ksar, the suburb of the capital. "I commit myself to respecting their choice."
        
        Although his opponents accused him of corruption and mismanagement, he remains popular among Mauritanians who see him as a beacon of stability. The vote is taking place in a particularly tense regional climate, with Mauritania’s neighboring countries shaken by military coups and jihadi violence.