General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani | |
|---|---|
محمد ولد الغزواني | |
.jpg) Ghazouani in 2022 | |
| 9th President of Mauritania | |
| Assumed office 1 August 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir Ismail Ould Bedde Ould Cheikh Sidiya Mohamed Ould Bilal Mokhtar Ould Djay |
| Preceded by | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz |
| 22nd Chairperson of the African Union | |
| Assumed office 17 February 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Azali Assoumani |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office October 2018 – 15 March 2019 | |
| President | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz |
| Prime Minister | Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir |
| Preceded by | Jallow Mamadou Bhatia |
| Succeeded by | Yahya Ould Hademine |
| Chief of Army Staff | |
| In office 13 May 2008 – 6 November 2018 | |
| President | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz |
| Preceded by | Felix Negri[1] |
| Succeeded by | Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed Lemine |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 December 1956[2] Boumdeid, Assaba Region, Colonial Mauritania |
| Political party | Equity Party (since 2022) |
| Other political affiliations | Union for the Republic (until 2022) |
| Spouse | Mariam Mint Mohamed Vadel Ould Dah |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence | Presidential Palace, Nouakchott |
| Education | Received a baccalaureate and a master’s degree in Administration and Military Sciences |
| Occupation |
|
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Mauritania |
| Branch/service | Mauritanian Army |
| Years of service | 1970s–2018 |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands | General Director of National Security Chief of National Army Staff |
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Military career
Political career
9th President of Mauritania  |
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Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ould Ghazouani (Arabic: محمد ولد الشيخ محمد أحمد ولد الغزواني; born 4 December 1956), also known as Ghazouani[3] and Ould Ghazouani,[4] is a Mauritanian politician and retired army general who has served as the 9th President of Mauritania since 2019,[5][6] and the chairperson of the African Union since February 2024.[7]
Ghazouani is a former general-director of National Security[2] and former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of Mauritania (2008–2018).[8] He was defense minister of Mauritania from October 2018 to March 2019.[9][10] At that time a close ally of his predecessor Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, he was elected president of Mauritania on 22 June 2019 following the 2019 presidential election.[6] His victory in the 2019 presidential election was presented as having been the country's first peaceful transition of power since independence.[11]
Ghazouani has overseen a period of relative stability in Mauritania. He has worked to improve social security and combat corruption, including the arrest of his predecessor. Ghazouani also played a crucial role in eliminating jihadist violence, modernizing the military, and engaging with communities and Islamist groups.[12]
- ^ "Colonel Felix Negri, Chief of National Army Staff from 24 December 2007 to 13 May 2008". Mauritanian National Army (in Arabic). 15 August 2012.
- ^ a b "السيرة الذاتية للفريق محمد ولد الغزواني - أقــــلام حرة". aqlame.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "غزواني يعلن ترشحه للانتخابات الرئاسية". 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "ولد الغزواني: للعهد عندي معناه، وأسعى لتحقيق طموح الشعب". الأخبار: أول وكالة أنباء موريتانية مستقلة. 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Ghazouani sworn in as new Mauritanian president: CENI". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Mauritania Constitutional Council Confirms Mohamed Ould Ghazouani as President". Voice of America. July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ^ "President of Mauritania Elected As New Chairperson of AU". ENA English. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Declares himself Winner of Mauritania Presidential Polls". Asharq AL-awsat. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
- ^ "صديق الرئيس وزيرا للدفاع.. ماذا يرتّب جنرالات موريتانيا قبيل الرئاسيات؟". www.aljazeera.net. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
- ^ "Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Mauritania's new president". www.aa.com.tr. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- ^ "First peaceful transfer of power in Mauritania's presidential polls". RFI. 22 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "Mauritania is a beacon of stability in the coup-prone Sahel". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 10 August 2024.