A subject that was supposed to stay theoretical has dominated Mauritania’s political scene for weeks now. Mohamed Ould Ghazouani himself has made no public request in that direction, yet several of his own supporters are openly calling for his continued rule beyond his second term, long presented as the last one allowed under the constitution.
The most striking episode played out in Kiffa, in the country’s east. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Habib, president of the Assaba region, used a ceremony marking the opening of the tourist season, held in the presence of the First Lady and several government members, to call for amending, or even fully rewriting, the constitution. His stated aim wasn’t so much a conventional third term as ensuring, in his words, the president’s continuity so he could carry his development project through. The same official had made a similar plea shortly before, going so far as to call for Ghazouani to stay in power « by whatever means, » adding that he had made the request « in every language. »
These statements aren’t isolated incidents. Within the ruling INSAF party, some officials are floating a more modest idea: rather than a full term, they’re suggesting a limited extension of a few years to finish major projects already underway, particularly around offshore hydrocarbons and the energy transition. Others simply argue that the president’s record on security and regional diplomacy justifies keeping him in office longer. Officially, the presidential majority won’t confirm whether this is a coordinated strategy or individual initiatives, which only fuels speculation that it’s a deliberate move to test public opinion before possibly going further.
The opposition has left no room for ambiguity in response. For Lo Gourmo Abdoul, vice president of the Union of Forces for Progress, the issue leaves no room for negotiation: whoever refuses to respect the constitution on this point, he argues, won’t accept free elections either. That firmness took on particular weight just as authorities were trying to launch a national dialogue meant to ease tensions between the government and the opposition. The third-term controversy ended up spilling into that dialogue, undermining its progress and deepening the mistrust between both camps.
Under pressure from his own camp, the president finally broke his silence in late July. At a press conference held at the presidential palace, he stated he would not support any move that violated the constitution or that lacked the backing of the people’s will. He noted that more than three years remained in his term, time he intended to devote entirely to carrying out the program he was elected on. The statement, while stopping short of settling the question of what comes after 2029, still managed to defuse, at least for now, a debate that had grown unusually loud.
Caution remains warranted, though. As long as the head of state doesn’t firmly condemn his supporters’ calls, nothing stops these local voices from continuing to dominate the conversation. For many observers, the stakes go well beyond Ghazouani himself: presidential term limits form the bedrock of the political pact struck in 2005, in a country long scarred by coups and the excessive personalization of power. Seeing that safeguard questioned again, even indirectly, revives a concern Mauritania thought it had put behind for good.
