The suspense was short-lived. On Monday, July 1, 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has been re-elected as President of Mauritania.
With 56.12% of the votes, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani succeeds himself as the head of Mauritania. His electoral success was officially confirmed in the first round. His main rival, the anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, received only 22.1% of the votes. "We did everything to prepare the conditions for a good election and we relatively succeeded," assures the president of the CENI, Dah Ould Abdel Jelil.
In his victory address, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, born on December 31, 1956, in Boumdeid, pledged to serve all Mauritanians. "I commit to being a president for all Mauritanians without exception or discrimination, and to continue the policy of outreach, dialogue, and partnership with all political actors, including my opponents in the 2024 presidential election," he said in a video message to Agence France-Presse.
Ghazouani, from an influential Sufi family, joined the army in 1978 after completing his baccalaureate. He was trained at the Royal Military Academy of Meknes in Morocco, where he earned a master's degree in administration and military sciences. Throughout his career, he has held several key positions, including aide-de-camp to President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and Director General of National Security. In 2018, he was appointed Minister of Defense before being elected president in 2019 with 52.01% of the vote.
This re-election marks Mauritania's continuation of its first democratic transition, a significant milestone for a country with a history of coups d'état. In his second term, Ghazouani aims to pursue economic and social reforms while ensuring the nation's stability and security.
