NOUAKCHOTT: Mauritanians began voting on Saturday to decide whether to re-elect President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani as head of the desert country, an oasis of peace in Africa’s volatile Sahel region.

Around 1.9 million registered voters are set to choose between seven candidates vying to lead the sprawling nation, which has largely withstood the tide of jihadism in the region and is set to become a gas producer.

A journalist saw voters queuing up at two polling stations at a school in the heart of the capital Nouakchott before polling began at 0700 GMT.

“I am here to fulfil my civic duty to complete the democratic process that began some decades back,” Mohamed Salem M’Seika, a 50-year-old voter, said. Kertouma Baba, 26, said he wanted “progress in education and opportunities for the youth”.

Polling is set to close at 1900 GMT, and the first results are expected on Saturday evening. Official results are set to be announced on Sunday or Monday.

A 2019 election brought Ghazouani to power and marked the first transition between two elected presidents since independence from France in 1960 and a series of coups from 1978 to 2008.

Former general Ghazouani is the overwhelming favourite to win a second term, with observers considering a first-round victory possible — given opposition divisions and the resources of the president’s camp. A possible second-round vote would take place on July 14.

Campaigning was relatively peaceful, except for some scuffles on Monday in the northern town of Nouadhibou, when “one candidate’s supporters” attacked backers of another candidate, the interior ministry said. Ghazouani, a former security boss and army chief, is widely regarded as the mastermind behind the country’s relative security. While the Sahel has in recent years seen a string of military coups and escalating jihadism, particularly in Mali, Mauritania has not seen an attack since 2011.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2024