The Main Opposition Figure In Mauritania And An Activist Against Slavery Criticizes Youth Unemployment

In an election that highlights the nation’s extreme differences, Mauritanians will cast ballots on Saturday. The incumbent, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, is running for a second term in the face of a regional security crisis and persistent accusations of human rights violations.

Born into an Arab Mauritanian family, Ghazouani was the first army chief to assume office after the nation’s first democratic transition in 2019.

His El Insaf party won 107 of the 176 seats in the National Assembly last year, capping an overwhelming victory in the legislative election.

Despite the fact that Ghazouani is favored to win, Biram Dah Abeid, a Black anti-slavery activist, is the primary opponent of the candidate and has charged him with grave mismanagement of the nation. Prior to his final campaign event on Thursday, Abeid claims that Ghazouani has fostered a culture of “corruption, the pillage of wealth, and repression of the population.”

“People are starving in the population. People are hungrier than ever. Youth unemployment has destroyed them. For this reason, thousands or tens of thousands of young people have left the country, he claimed.

According to Abeid, Mauritania and the European Union have an agreement to restrict immigration to Europe, but he opposes it since it “will serve neither the European Union, nor Mauritania.”