Mauritania
Mauritania exhibits low-range performance in the Rights, Representation, and Rule of Law categories of the Global State of Democracy framework, while exhibiting mid-range performance in Participation. It is among the world’s bottom 25 per cent of countries across several factors of Rights, Rule of Law and Participation. The last five years saw declines in Access to Justice, Freedom of Expression and Predictable Enforcement. Mauritania is one of the world’s least densely populated countries, and its vast expanses of uninhabitable land render the agriculture-driven economy highly sensitive to climate- related shocks.
Mauritania's history dates back to early sub-Saharan and Berber settlements. In the 11th century, it became the center of the Almoravid movement, associated with the spread of Islam across North Africa. Colonized by France in 1903, Mauritania came to endure military domination, the deliberate manipulation of tribal antagonisms and heavy taxation, which rendered it the poorest territory of French West Africa. Mauritania gained independence in 1960 and its first 30 years of independence were marked by military rule. In a break from this history, the 2019 presidential elections represented the country’s first peaceful transfer of power and signaled the start of tentative path toward political liberalization. Major challenges towards democratic consolidation nevertheless persist, including a powerful executive dominated by enduring military influence, a weak judiciary, a constrained media landscape, and a fragmented, patronage-based party system controlled by the ruling party.
Mauritania has three major ethnic groups, and ethnicity is a dominant political cleavage. The first group is the Bidhân, who have monopolized the most significant state institutions, and whose inter-group dynamics remain a key political factor. The second group, the Haratines, comprise the descendants of enslaved black Africans. The marginalization of the Haratine, including through enslavement, is a major problem, and the emergence of the Haratines as a potent political force is one of the most significant developments in recent years. Their party political and social mobilization has centred on demands for racial equality and the fulfilment of human rights. The third category includes non-Arabic speaking groups, whose assertion of cultural identities raises issues of language, land tenure, and education policies. The partition of these groups’ claims along ethnic lines has made it difficult to find common ground with respect to prominent issues such as the intersection of Islam and politics, the enduring practice of hereditary slavery, poverty, insecurity close to its border with Mali, and corruption.
Mauritania is among the world’s bottom 25 per cent with regard to performance on Gender Equality, but recent progress includes an electoral gender quota and legislation prohibiting harmful practices. Yet, patriarchal oppression and socio-economic constraints continue, while female genital mutilation and child marriage persist despite legislative efforts. In terms of LGBTQIA+ rights, same-sex activity is criminalized and is a capital offence.
Following the recent re-election of President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, it will be important to monitor whether Mauritania will progress towards a more pluralistic political system. One important area to watch in this regard is the Free Political Parties factor, with pending reforms set to tighten the laws governing the creation and operation of parties. Both recent police brutality in the dispersal of protests and a 22 day internet shutdown following the presidential elections may come to signal a more restricted environment for Civil Liberties. Nonetheless, the launching of a national inclusive dialogue aimed at consolidating democracy, might offer some tentative progress.
Last updated: May 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
June 2024
Incumbent Ghazouani wins presidential election
Mauritania’s presidential election was held on 29 June and was won by incumbent Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. According to the results released by the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Ghazouani secured a second term with 56.12 per cent of the vote. The former army chief of staff and defense minister faced six challengers in the election, none of whom were women. Ghazouani’s main opponent, anti-slavery campaigner Biram Dah Abeid, received 22.10 per cent of the vote, while Hamadi Ould Sid’ El Moctar, who heads the Islamist Tawassoul party, came third with 12.78 per cent. The result was rejected by Abeid, who alleged fraud and irregularities and announced that he had filed an appeal at the Constitutional Council. Voter turnout was reported by CENI to be 55.39 per cent of the registered voters, down from 62.66 per cent in 2019. International observers from the African Union reported the elections were held without any major incidents.
Sources: Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Jeune Afrique, Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters, Le Monde, African Union, International IDEA
May 2023
Legislative elections return large majority for ruling party
Elections for representatives in the local, regional, and national legislative bodies were held in Mauritania on 13 and 27 May. At the national level, the party of the President (rebranded for this election as the Equity Party) won a strong majority with 107 of the 176 seats in the National Assembly. The legislature includes 20 seats elected through a special list for women, and with the addition of women who won seats in the general list and in single member districts, the new legislature will be 24.2 per cent women, which is almost unchanged from the previous legislature. The ruling party was also successful in the local and regional elections, winning control of all 13 regional councils and a majority of the local councils. However, six opposition parties have demanded that the results of the election from a number of locations (most notably in the capital of Nouakchott) be rejected due to what they have called ‘tampering’ with the vote. Turnout at the national level was 71.6 per cent of registered voters, very slightly down from the last election (72.5 per cent).
Sources: Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante, Radio France Internationale, Africa News, Middle East Monitor, Le Monde
February 2023
Human rights activist dies in police custody
Souvi Ould Jibril Ould Cheine, a well-known human rights activist and representative of the Haratine community (descendants of former slaves), was taken into police custody on the night of 9 February. He died in hospital hours later. An autopsy found that the cause of death was a neck fracture and strangulation, and his family has alleged that he was tortured. News of Chein’s death was met with large protests that were broken up by riot police. Eight people have been charged in connection with Chein’s death. Included among those charged are four security officials (including the police commissioner for the station where Chein was detained) who have been charged with crimes that include torture and premeditated murder. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has called upon the government of Mauritania to ensure that those responsible for his death are brought to justice.
Sources: Swissinfo, Siglo XXI, Peoples Dispatch, MauriWeb, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024
Basic Information
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Performance by category over the last 6 months
Representation
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Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
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