Mauritania’s presidency announced late on Saturday a new 29-member cabinet headed by Mokhtar Ould Djay, whom President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani had reappointed on Friday to form the government, hours after his cabinet resigned following more than two years in office. The new cabinet saw the departure of two ministers holding sovereign portfolios: Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed El Amin and Defence Minister Hanena Ould Sidi.
The two ministers were among President Ghazouani’s longest-serving and closest aides, having served in his governments since he came to power in 2019. Othman Ba returned to the government as minister of national defence, veterans and the children of martyrs, after previously serving as education minister in earlier cabinets.
Changes to the interior and energy sectors
The Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation was also assigned to Mokhtar Ould Bousif, who moved from the Ministry of Fisheries. In the energy sector, Oil and Energy Minister Mohamed Ould Khaled was removed against the backdrop of a power outage crisis in the capital, Nouakchott. He was replaced by Mohamed Ould Abdel Fattah, who had previously held the energy and oil portfolio.
The list of departing ministers also included Economy Minister Abdallah Ould Souleymane Ould Cheikh Sidiya; Culture and Communications Minister and government spokesperson El Hussein Ould Meddou; Housing, Urban Development and Land Management Minister Sidi Ahmed Ould Mohamed; Health Minister Tiam Zakaria; and Islamic Affairs Minister El Fadil Ould Sidaty.
Power crisis preceded government resignation
The government’s resignation came a day after the president received a report on Thursday detailing multiple shortcomings linked to two fires that broke out last August at two major power stations in Nouakchott operated by the Mauritanian Electricity Company, Somelec. The crisis cut electricity to most neighbourhoods of the capital, as well as the towns of Wad Naga, Idini and Ouliqat, for periods ranging from 3 to 5 days.
Mokhtar Ould Djay is the third prime minister during the tenure of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. Ghazouani first appointed him in August 2024, at the start of his second presidential term, before reappointing him to form the new government.
