Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
General
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
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محمد ولد عبد العزيز
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Mohamed in 2014
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| 8th President of Mauritania | |
| In office 5 August 2009 – 1 August 2019 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi |
| Succeeded by | Mohamed Ould Ghazouani |
| 12th Chairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 30 January 2014 – 30 January 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Hailemariam Desalegn |
| Succeeded by | Robert Mugabe |
| President of the High Council of State | |
| In office 6 August 2008 – 15 April 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Moulaye Laghdaf |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 December 1956 Akjoujt, Mauritania, French West Africa |
| Nationality | Mauritanian |
| Political party | Union for the Republic (UPR) |
| Spouse | Mariam Mint Ahmed Aicha |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Mauritania |
| Branch/service | Mauritanian Army |
| Years of service | 1977 – 2009 |
| Rank | General |
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (born 20 December 1956) is a retired military officer and politician from Mauritania. He served as the 8th President of Mauritania from 2009 to 2019.
Mohamed was a key figure in two important events in Mauritania's history. In August 2005, he helped remove President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya from power. Later, in August 2008, he led another change in government that removed President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. After the 2008 event, Mohamed became the head of the High Council of State. This was a temporary government leading to new elections.
He left this role in April 2009 to run in the presidential election in July 2009, which he won. He became president in August 2009. He was re-elected in 2014. He did not run for re-election in 2019. Mohamed Ould Ghazouani took over as president in August 2019. Mohamed also served as the chairman of the African Union from 2014 to 2015.
In June 2021, Mohamed was arrested. In December 2023, he was sentenced to five years in prison for financial wrongdoings.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was born in Akjoujt on 20 December 1956. He joined the Meknes Royal Military Academy in Morocco in 1977. He rose through the ranks and created the special Presidential Security Battalion (BASEP). He played a big part in stopping an attempted takeover in June 2003. He also helped stop a military uprising in August 2004. He received Mauritania's highest military award for his actions in 2004.
Role in the 2005 Government Change
A military change in government happened on 3 August 2005. It was led by Ely Ould Mohamed Vall and Colonel Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. They removed President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya from power. Colonel Mohamed was a main person in carrying out this change.
Some people thought Mohamed wanted to reduce military rule. They also believed he tried to stop cheating in elections.
Working with President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
On 30 August 2007, President Sidi appointed Mohamed as his special Chief of Staff. Mohamed, who was now a General, worked closely with the President. He was also in charge of the forces that caught militants who had killed four French tourists in December 2007.
However, a disagreement between Mohamed and the President grew in June 2008. Some political parties believed Mohamed was planning a change in government. They thought he was trying to get politicians to leave the government. This would weaken the President peacefully. Many members of the ruling party left on 4 August 2008. This made it hard for the president to govern.
Leading the 2008 Government Change
On 6 August 2008, President Abdallahi tried to remove Mohamed and other senior officers from their positions. Soon after, troops took control of the President, Prime Minister, and Interior Minister in the capital, Nouakchott. Mauritania's television station went off air. An announcement from the new military group was broadcast.
On 7 August, an official statement said that Sidi's powers were ended. Mauritania would be led by an 11-member High Council of State. Mohamed was the president of this council. They promised a new presidential election as soon as possible.
Transition to New Leadership
Many foreign governments did not support the 2008 change. Mohamed met with many foreign groups and leaders. He told them his actions were legal. He said it was a response to unfair actions by the previous government. He also said he did not want power for himself, but he did not rule out running in the promised elections.
Mohamed first listed five civilians for the High Council of State. But by the end of the same day, the list only included military figures. Small protests happened the day after the change. One protest was against the military, and another supported them. Mohamed spoke at the supporting march. Within a week, most of the Mauritanian Parliament voted to approve the change. On August 13, Mohamed appointed Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf as Prime Minister of Mauritania. The Council said Mohamed had the power to appoint leaders.
Some neighboring countries like Morocco and Libya supported the new government. However, Algeria and the African Union strongly opposed it. The African Union even put travel bans on Mohamed and others involved.
People noted that Mohamed, who was always seen in his military uniform, was already called "president" by government staff. He spoke against financial wrongdoings and government inaction. He also stressed his opposition to extremist groups.
2009 Presidential Election
The new government led by General Mohamed promised to hold a fair election for president on 6 June 2009. On 5 February 2009, Mauritanian state media reported that the General would run for president.
However, the African Union continued to recognize Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi as the true leader. Many opposition parties refused to join the election. They called it unfair. The African Union also put sanctions on government and military officials who supported the August change. These sanctions stopped them from traveling to African Union nations. They also froze their bank accounts in those countries.
To run for president, Mohamed had to step down as Head of State. He did this on 15 April. The President of the Senate, Ba Mamadou Mbaré, took over temporarily. Some opposition members said this was a trick. They believed the General still held real power.
The Union for the Republic political party chose Mohamed as its leader on 5 May 2009. In the presidential election on 18 July 2009, Mohamed won with 52.58% of the votes. He then resigned as party leader on 2 August 2009. This is because the President of Mauritania cannot be a member of any political party. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz became President at a ceremony in Nouakchott on 5 August 2009.
2012 Incident
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Mohamed was shot on 13 October 2012, but not fatally. There were different reports about what happened. Some said he was shot in the arm, others in the stomach. At first, Mauritanian radio said it was an assassination attempt. But Mohamed later said he was accidentally shot by an army unit. He had a minor injury and was operated on successfully.
He had surgery in Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott. Then he was moved to a military hospital in Paris, France, for more treatment.
Presidency Highlights
In April 2010, President Aziz met with leaders from Mali, Niger, and Algeria. They discussed ways to fight against terrorism together.
In November 2012, the Mauritanian government allowed private TV stations for the first time. This was a big step for media freedom.
His party, the Union for the Republic, won the 2013 Mauritanian parliamentary election. They gained 15 seats in parliament. The party president said this victory would help them support the President's plans.
Mohamed ran for re-election in 2014 and won with almost 82% of the votes. Many opposition parties did not accept the election results. However, the African Union praised the elections for being mostly peaceful.
In 2017, a public vote (referendum) was held on some proposed changes. One change was to remove the Senate and replace it with Regional Councils. Another change was to update the national flag by adding red bands. These bands would represent the sacrifices of the Mauritanian people. The national anthem was also proposed to be changed.
Mohamed Ould Mohamed also called for Mauritania to stop hate speech. He led a rally to end ethnic tensions. He said he passed a law to stop "hateful, racist or violent speech."
Efforts Against Slavery
Since 2015, there have been protests against slavery in Mauritania. Protesters said the government was not fully enforcing anti-slavery laws. President Aziz and the Mauritanian government stated that slavery had not existed in the country since 1981. Mauritania was the last nation to officially abolish it.
In March 2013, Aziz created a special agency. It was called the "National Agency to Fight against the Vestiges of Slavery, Integration, and Fight against Poverty." This agency aimed to help end the lasting effects of slavery.
2019 Election and Later Life
Mohamed did not run for re-election in 2019. He was peacefully succeeded by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who was a close friend at the time.
In March 2021, a judge brought financial charges against Mohamed and several people close to him. This included former prime ministers and businessmen. One of his lawyers said Mohamed refused to answer questions from the judge. In June 2021, a judge moved Mohamed from house arrest to jail because he would not cooperate.
On 29 December 2021, Mohamed had heart surgery at a military hospital in Nouakchott. His lawyer said he had been ill. Mohamed's family said his poor health was due to the legal issues. They worried about his safety. After leaving the hospital, he was allowed to return to house arrest in January 2022 because of his health.
In June 2022, a prosecutor ordered Mohamed to face trial for financial wrongdoings and misuse of funds. The court estimated the amount of money involved was about US$90 million. This included houses, land, and money.
In October 2023, the prosecution asked for a 20-year prison sentence for Mohamed. On 4 December, he was found guilty of financial wrongdoings and sentenced to five years in prison. His lawyer said they would appeal the decision.
