Mauritania

Mauritania's newly-appointed prime minister Zeine Ould Zeidane announced the formation of his government on Saturday 28 April, following a week of consultations with President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi. The 28-member cabinet includes Abderrahmane Ould Hamma Vezzaz, who previously worked for the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), as the new economy and finance minister.

Speaking at his first press conference after becoming president elect, Sidi ould Cheikh Abdalahi said he would do all he could to transform his vast, desert nation. “[I plan to] build a country that conforms to the norms of justice and economic development” said the 69 year old.

The Mauritanian interior ministry officially announced the victory of independent candidate Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi in the second round of presidential elections held Sunday (March 25th) throughout the country.

On 20 March 2007, journalists working in al-Jazeera's Nouakchott offices received death threats by phone. Then, at about 4:00 p.m. (local time), eight people marched into the premises. Journalist Mohammed Nema Oumar, head of communications for Rashid Mustapha, a failed first round candidate, was among this group. Police arrested four people and opened an investigation to find the other assailants.

Reporters Without Borders have reported that it had uncovered a major imbalance in election coverage of the two candidates to the presidential election run-off, ex cabinet minister Ould Sheikh Abdellahi and long-time opposition figure Ould Daddah, after a third week of monitoring state-run media.

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