Incumbent wins presidential election in Mauritania
Mauritanian President has been re-elected. According to the preliminary results, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani obtained 56 percent of the votes in the weekend election, as announced by the Mauritanian Election Commission. His main opponent, Biram Dah Abeid, came in second place with approximately 22 percent of the votes.
The results were announced late on Sunday evening after the counting of 99 percent of the votes. Ould Ghazouani was first elected in 2019. Since 1978, there have been three military coups in Mauritania, making this the first peaceful transition of power in the country.
For the EU, Ould Ghazouani is considered a strategically important partner. At the beginning of the year, the EU Commission signed a Migration Partnership with the country. This aims to promote legal migration, combat smuggling and human trafficking, and support the country in the acceptance of refugees.
The number of migrants setting out from Mauritania, for example towards the Spanish Canary Islands, has significantly increased. According to official Spanish figures, more than 7000 people have been counted since the beginning of the year. Most of them reached the western islands of the continent in small, barely seaworthy boats from Africa across the open Atlantic. This was more than in the entire first half of 2023, when a strong increase in arrivals was already recorded.
The victory in the presidential election was a recurrence for Mauritania's Incumbent, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who managed to secure 56% of the Voices. Despite a significant challenge from opponent Biram Dah Abeid, who garnered approximately 22% of the votes, Ould Ghazouani maintained his lead.
Following his re-election, Ould Ghazouani continues to serve as a strategically important partner for the European Union, having recently signed a Migration Partnership aimed at addressing migration issues and supporting Mauritania's acceptance of refugees.
