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Mauritanian president to keep firm control for now

Friday, October 2, 2015

Significance

The government initiated the talks with a view to defusing tensions in domestic politics. Opposition parties boycotted the one-sided presidential election in 2014 that brought President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to power for a second time since his 2009 win. Abdel Aziz initially came to power in a coup in 2008, and dominates politics along with his Union for the Republic (UPR) party.

Impacts

  • Economic growth will be driven primarily by the mining and petroleum sector.
  • Mining companies may scale back their investment plans further.
  • Economic hardship and discrimination may lead to more protests, but these will be limited.

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