Islamic Republic of Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is clearly in trouble. His faults have been exposed and he is being pressured to step down. This is what can be concluded from the recent media appearance by the leader of Mauritania’s Democratic Opposition Coordination Committee, Ahmed Ould Daddah. Without mincing words, Daddah explicitly accused President Aziz of being involved in a “serious matter.” Daddah accused the president of moral decay and a lack of credibility.
Another committee figure — Mohamed Jemil Ould Mansour, chairman of the Tawassoul Party — said that the president should be ousted. Mansour said that “the scandals involving President Aziz are affecting the image and the vital interests of Mauritania.” Tawassoul is an Islamist party that was legalized in 2008. It is now battling the government, which it considers unable to meet the democratic aspirations of Mauritania’s people.
