Former Mauritanian President Abdel Aziz Sentenced to 15 Years for Corruption

Former Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $3 million on corruption-related charges, including money laundering and illicit self-enrichment, significantly increasing his initial five-year sentence from 2023. Investigators revealed that Aziz amassed over $70 million in assets during his presidency from 2009 to 2019, a period marked by his rise to power through two coups and a controversial tenure. The appeals court also sentenced his son-in-law to two years in prison and ordered the dissolution and asset seizure of the family-run Errahma Foundation. Aziz's legal team claims the charges are politically motivated, stemming from a fallout with his successor, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, under whose government the corruption probe was launched in 2020. This case has drawn international attention as a rare instance of an African head of state being held accountable for corruption, marking a potentially significant moment in Mauritania’s political and judicial history amidst ongoing efforts to consolidate democratic institutions. The ruling has sparked public debate and reactions across Africa, with some expressing hope for similar accountability in other countries.