Mauritanians on Saturday cast ballots in a presidential election that incumbent Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was expected to win handily as main opposition rivals boycotted the vote in the largely desert nation.
The ex-Army General, who seized power in the northwest African nation in a August 2008 coup, has campaigned strongly on his success in fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda at home and in neighbouring Sahel nations.Small queues snaked outside several polling stations in the capital Nouakchott before voting got underway at 12:30 IST.
Kidnappings and attacks by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb were frequent when Aziz came to power, but he boasts he has turned his nation into a regional haven of peace thanks to his reorganisation of the military and security forces.“The first point where Abdel Aziz’s success is undeniable is indeed that of security and stability in the country, driving away the spectre of the terrorist threat,” said Mohamed Fall Ould Oumeire, Managing Editor of the daily la Tribune.