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Mauritania: new government formed after corruption link to former ministers

August 11, 2020 at 11:11 am

President of Mauritania’s National Assembly Mohamed Ould Bilal on 29 January 2014 [Mohamed Ould Elhadj/AFP/Getty Images]

The ministers who will serve in the new Mauritanian government headed by Mohamed Ould Bilal were announced on Sunday. The announcement was made by the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Adam Bakkar Soku, during a press conference, setting a protocol precedent in Mauritania.

Soku said that the formation of the new government follows the inclusion of ministers from the previous government in a report on corruption by a parliamentary committee. He pointed out that their exit from the government “allows them to be free to defend themselves.” The official stressed that President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani may in the future seek the assistance of those who are proven innocent.

Three ministers holding sovereign portfolios hold on to their positions in the new government, while other members have been appointed. The most prominent of these is the parliamentary investigation committee member Marabet Ould Benahi.

READ: Arrests made after funds embezzled from Mauritania Central Bank