By Kissima Diagana
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) – Mauritanians vote in a presidential election on June 29, with incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani facing six challengers.
Mauritania, a largely desert country straddling Arab and Black Africa, has suffered six military coups since independence in 1960. Since taking office five years ago, Ghazouani has presided over a period of relative stability.
Here are the candidates in the election:
MOHAMED OULD GHAZOUANI
Ghazouani is seeking a second term after five years marked by challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic but also the prospect of accelerated economic growth fuelled by offshore gas.
The 67-year-old former general and defence minister succeeded his ex-ally Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in 2019 following an election that was described as the West African country’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France.
Sharing a border with insurgency-hit Mali, Ghazouani has made security one of his priorities. His ruling El Insaf party and allies hold a majority of seats in parliament after last year’s legislative election.
BIRAM DAH ABEID
Abeid, 59, is well-known anti-slavery activist and member of parliament. He was jailed numerous times, and won plaudits from the United Nations and United States for his fight against slavery in Mauritania. He was the runner-up in 2014 and 2019 elections, securing around 9% and 19% of the vote, respectively.
Abeid enjoys the support of the youth and Black Haratin people who are typically enslaved as cattle herders and domestic servants by the lighter-skinned elite Beydan, known as white Moors.
BA MAMADOU BOCAR
Bocar is the leader of the Alliance for Justice and Democracy-Movement for Renewal party, which appeals to Mauritania’s Black population. He spent time in prison in the 1980s for his participation in a nationalist movement aiming to abolish slavery and calling for equality.
ID MOHAMEDEN M’BARECK
M’Bareck is a 45-year-old lawyer and member of parliament. The first-time presidential candidate has promised to undertake reforms to fight corruption and put an end to discrimination and injustice. M’Bareck, who hopes to attract votes from Haratin people, is seen as the main competitor to Biram Dah Abeid.
MOHAMED LEMINE EL MOURTAJI EL WAFI
Wafi, a 47-year-old economist, is running for the second time. He secured less than 1% of the vote in the 2019 election.
OTOUMA ANTOINE SLIMANE SOUMARÉ
Soumare is a neurosurgeon who has worked abroad for several years before returning to Mauritania. He is also a political activist, who took part in negotiations for a return to constitutional order following the 2008 military coup.
HAMADI SIDI EL MOKHTAR
El Mokhtar is a member of parliament and candidate for the Tawassoul party, whose ideology is comparable to the Muslim Brotherhood. The party is fielding a presidential candidate for the first time. El Mokhtar has put religion at the heart of his programme, promising to unite the multi-ethnic country around Islam.
(Reporting by Kissima Diagana; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Bate Felix and Ros Russell)
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