Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani has won the West African country’s latest presidential election, according to provisional results from more than 99% of polling stations. The 67-year-old former army chief of staff and defense minister had over 56% of the total votes from an election that saw just under 55.33% of the country’s registered voters exercise their rights. His closest rival, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, received 22.14% of the vote, while Hamadi Sidi El Mokhtar of the Islamist Tewassoul party garnered 12.8%. Abeid has since rejected the provisional results, citing irregularities by the independent electoral commission. He stated that his party will use its own electoral commission to proclaim the results.
SOURCE: FRANCE 24