Mauritanian president to keep firm control for now

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.