Mauritania Elections: Vote Counting Underway

Vote counting in Mauritania is currently underway, and we can expect to see some partial results by Sunday (Jun. 30). Around 2 million Mauritanians were eligible to vote in the presidential election that took place on Saturday (Jun. 29).

The voter turnout was 40%, and reports indicate that the voting process was peaceful. Incumbent President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who is running for reelection with a focus on security and economic development, is a former army chief and the current president of the African Union.

Ghazouani faced six opponents, including an anti-slavery activist, leaders of various opposition parties, and a neurosurgeon. Due to limited economic opportunities at home, many young people are attempting to migrate to Europe or even the United States of America through Mexico.