By RFPosted on 01-08-2019Modified on 01-08-2019 at 03:07

After eleven years in power, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz hands over this Thursday, August 1 to Mohamed Ghazouani. Between the return of the security order and deepening inequalities in the country, its record is subdued.

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz spent his last day as President of the Republic welcoming the heads of state invited to the investiture ceremony of his successor. In the morning, on Wednesday, he made his heritage statement to the commission on financial transparency in public life. But the declared assets of President Abdel Aziz when he left power were not revealed to the press.

After this formality, the outgoing head of state received parliamentarian Jean-Jacques Bridey who will represent French President Emmanuel Macron at the investiture ceremony of Mohamed Ghazouani . This last day of the outgoing chief of the executive at the head of the country ended with a dinner in honor of the guests at this event.

A coup and two elections

President Aziz came to power in a military coup against the first democratically elected president, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, before organizing and winning the 2009 presidential election for a five-year term, renewed at the occasion of the presidential election of 2014.

The Mauritanian Constitution only allows two mandates. But Abdel Aziz does not rule out coming back to power. In the meantime, he said last June that he would continue to play politics.

►To read also: Election of General Ghazouani in Mauritania: what links with his predecessor?

When it seized power in 2008, Mauritania was experiencing an unprecedented wave of terrorism. To his credit, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz reformed the army, created an administrative network and hunt religious fundamentalism. Since 2011, no attacks have occurred in the country unlike neighboring Mali, entangled in a war since 2012. It has also been a key player in the development of G5 Sahel, supposed to ensure security and development in the region.

But these aspects do not make us forget the widening inequalities in the country. During the election campaign, all opposition candidates called for better redistribution of wealth. In recent years, the drought has created a real rural exodus to Nouakchott that continues to expand. In poor neighborhoods, as in the rest of the country, access to basic services is almost non-existent and the resentment of a two-speed society is growing.

As for freedom of expression, this one regresses. Internet cuts, radio closures, arrests of journalists or bloggers ... The list goes on for a long list of attacks on fundamental freedoms.

Investiture Ceremony

So many projects that will have to tackle Mohamed Ghazouani to be invested on Thursday. More than a dozen African heads of state made the trip to Nouakchott for the occasion. The ceremony will take place at the Mourabitounes Palace, located 35 km from the Mauritanian capital.

The former Chief of General Staff will be joined by a dozen African heads of state, including Senegalese neighbor Macky Sall, Chadian Idriss Déby, Congolese Sassou-Nguesso and Ivorian Alassane Ouattara . No leader in the Arab world, on the other hand, and no Maghreb leaders.

The ceremony will be marked by an exchange of speech between incoming and outgoing presidents. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will bid farewell to the nation as Mohamed Ghazouani is eagerly awaited for his first speech as head of state after his disputed election by opposition candidates who denounced massive fraud. Frauds refuted by the Ceni and the supporters of the former chief of the army.

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