Corruption could derail Mauritanian president's agenda

Significance

Despite significant progress on reform, serious grievances persist among sections of the population. Meanwhile, an ongoing corruption case against former President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz presents challenges for the incumbent.

Impacts

• Abdelaziz will remain in pre-trial detention after his lawyers failed in a fourth bid to secure his provisional release.
• Foreign coverage of Mauritania focuses on the Abdelaziz case, but domestically, social and economic justice matters at least as much.
• Addressing long-standing concerns, such as land rights and the legacy of past repression in the south, will require deep structural reform.