Mauritania president to run again in July elections

INA-source
Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said Wednesday he would run for a second term in presidential elections due in June.
 
Ghazouani, 67, has been at the helm of the vast West African country since 2019 and provided stability in the Sahel region, which faces rising jihadism.
 
"I have deemed it appropriate to address you directly, dear compatriots, through this letter, to inform you of my decision to present myself to you, so that you renew your confidence in me for a new term," he said in a statement.
 
Ghazouani, the current chairman of the African Union, is the clear favorite in the polls.
 
 
The well-known anti-slavery activist and opponent Biram Dah Ould Abeid, who was a runner-up in the last presidential election, also announced his candidacy on Wednesday.
 
 
"We are moving forward, aware of the imperfection of the electoral register and the partiality and deficiencies of the CENI (Independent National Electoral Commission," he said.
 
Mauritania was hit by a series of coups from 1978 to 2008, before the 2019 election marked the first transition between two elected presidents.
 
While jihadism has spread elsewhere in the Sahel, particularly in neighboring Mali, Mauritania has not seen an attack since 2011.
Source- voaafrica