Mauritania

Western Sahara Conflict Negotiation

Western Sahara Negotiation convened by Massad Fares Boulos, senior advisor to president Donald Trump for Arab and African Affairs, in Madrid on 8 and 9 February and Washington on 23 and 24 February 2026. Both meetings were chaired by Mr Boulos and attended by the UN Secretary-General’s envoy for Western Sahara, Mr Staffan de Mistura, and Mike Waltz, USA Ambassador at United Nations. Long entrenched in its absolute refusal to participate in negotiations, the Algerian Govenment has now resigned itself to joining the negotiating table under pressure from Washington and the Security Council, and was represented by its Foreign Minister, Mr Ahmed Attaf. Also attending were Morocco’s Foreign Minister, Mr Nasser Bourita, the Mauritanian Foreign Minister, Mr Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, and Polisario Front represented by Mr Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, and their officials.

The negotiations on the autonomy were held behind closed doors in total secrecy. There was no official photo, and no joint statement.

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The Mauritanian presidential election 2019

The Mauritanian presidential election of 22 June 2019 was won by ruling party candidate and former Defence Minister General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, an ally of outgoing President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. On 1 July 2019 the Constitutional Court ruled that Ghazouani had won by 52% of the votes cast. He was elected for a five-year term of governance in this West African nation threatened by Islamic extremism. The candidates in the Mauritanian presidential election and their scores in the election are as follows:

1. Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, 483,312 votes (52.01%)
2. Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, anti-slavery activist, 172,656 votes (18.58%)
3. Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, former prime minister, 166,058 votes (17.87%)
4. Kane Hamidou Baba, journalist, 80,916 votes (8.71%)
5. Mohamed Ould Mouloud, historian, 22,695 votes (2.44%)
6. Mohamed Lemine El Mourteji El Wafi, 3,676 votes (0.40%)

According to Mauritanian news media, 100 international monitors had observed the elections and the African Union Election Observer, which comprises 35 observers, as well as foreign embassies in Mauritania reported that the election had been run in a fair and satisfactory manner.

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Recent Referendum in Mauritania

 

The Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, seized power in a Coup d’état on 6th August 2008 and was elected President on 18 July 2009 for a term of 5 years. He was elected again on 21 June 2014 for a second five-years term. He organised a contentious referendum on 4 August 2017 to abolish the Mauritanian Senate which he considers to be interfering with his authority and replace it with regional Council which he can easily control, as well as merging the Islamic High Council and national Ombudsman into a High Council of the Fawa. During the election campaign, Ould Abdel Aziz did not explain what kind of legislative power regional Council will have and if this body will get material resources to manage local affairs and implement policies.

Abolishing the Senate, which in fact supported most of his policies, is a very dangerous act. This policy will backfire on him.

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