The Mauritanian presidential campaign season ends today

The Mauritanian presidential campaigning season will end today.

Mauritanian presidential elections are scheduled to take place on 29 June, with a likely scenario of a second round to be held on July 14. Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of the El Insaf Party, and the current chairman of the African Union, is running for a second term. Ghazouani’s opponent, Biram Dah Abeid of the Refoundation for a Global Action (RAG) party came in second place in the previous elections held in 2019.

Although Ghazouani’s 5-year-tenure has been marked for his strict policy against Islamic jihadism, which has kept the country somewhat stabilized, there are growing concerns over censorship leading to speculations about the election’s fairness. Nevertheless, polls heavily suggest Ghazouani will likely be reelected. As a result, Mauritania will continue to be a major rregional partner for the EU during the short-to medium-term, especially on antiterrorism in the Sahel region and increased border security. This will enable Mauritania to play a major role in curbing illegal African migration into neighboring countries and ultimately to Europe.