List of heads of state of Mauritania

President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
رئيس الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية Président de la République Islamique de la Mauritanie
Seal of Mauritania
Presidential standard
Incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani since 1 August 2019
Residence	Presidential Palace, Nouakchott
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Moktar Ould Daddah
Formation	20 August 1961
Salary	300,000 USD annually^[1]^[2]
Website	presidence.mr

Politics of Mauritania


Member State of the Arab League
Constitution Human rights Slavery
Government President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Prime Minister Mohamed Ould Bilal
Parliament National Assembly President
Administrative divisions Regions Departments Communes
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2014 2019 2024 Parliamentary: 2013 2018 2023 Political parties Electoral districts
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This is a list of heads of state of Mauritania since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.

A total of nine people have served as head of state of Mauritania (not counting one Acting President). Additionally, one person, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.

The current head of state of Mauritania is the President of the Republic Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, since 1 August 2019.^[3]^[4]

Term limits

As of 2023, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Mauritania. The first president who adhered to the term limits was Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in 2019.^[5]

Titles

1960–1961: Acting Head of State
1961–1978: President of the Islamic Republic
1978–1979: Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery
1979 : Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery
1979–1992: Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation
1992–2005: President of the Islamic Republic
2005–2007: Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy
2007–2008: President of the Islamic Republic
2008–2009: President of the High Council of State
2009–present: President of the Islamic Republic

List of officeholders

Political parties

Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM)

Mauritanian People's Party (PPM)

Democratic and Social Republican Party (PRDS)

Union for the Republic (UPR)

El Insaf

Other factions

Military

Independent

Status

Acting President

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Prime minister(s)
1		Moktar Ould Daddah (1924–2003)	1961 1966 1971 1976	28 November 1960	10 July 1978 (deposed)	17 years, 224 days	PRM / PPM	Himself
2		Mustafa Ould Salek (1936–2012)	—	10 July 1978	3 June 1979 (resigned)^[a]	328 days	Military	Bouceif Sidi Haidalla
3		Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly (1943–2019)	—	3 June 1979	4 January 1980 (deposed)	215 days	Military	Haidalla
4		Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla (born 1940)	—	4 January 1980	12 December 1984 (deposed)	4 years, 343 days	Military	Himself Bneijara Taya Himself
5		Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (born 1941)	1992 1997 2003	12 December 1984	3 August 2005 (deposed)	20 years, 234 days	Military / PRDS	Himself Boubacar Khouna Guig Khouna M'Bareck
6		Ely Ould Mohamed Vall (1953–2017)	—	3 August 2005	19 April 2007	1 year, 259 days	Military (Sûreté Nationale)	Boubacar
7		Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi (1938–2020)	2007	19 April 2007	6 August 2008 (deposed)	1 year, 109 days	Independent	Zeidane Waghef
8		Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (born 1956)	—	6 August 2008	15 April 2009	252 days	Military	Laghdaf
–		Ba Mamadou Mbaré (1946–2013)^[b]	—	15 April 2009	5 August 2009	112 days	Independent	Laghdaf
(8)		Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (born 1956)	2009 2014	5 August 2009	1 August 2019	9 years, 361 days	UPR	Laghdaf Hademine Béchir
9		Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (born 1956)	2019	1 August 2019	Incumbent	4 years, 317 days	UPR	Béchir Sidiya Bilal
		Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (born 1956)	2019	1 August 2019	Incumbent	4 years, 317 days	El Insaf^[c]	Béchir Sidiya Bilal

Timeline

Latest election


Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Mohamed Ould Ghazouani	Union for the Republic	483,007	52.00
	Biram Dah Abeid	Democratic Alternation Coalition	172,649	18.59
	Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar	Independent	165,995	17.87
	Kane Hamidou Baba	Coalition Living Together	80,777	8.70
	Mohamed Ould Maouloud	Union of the Forces of Progress	22,656	2.44
	Mohamed Lemine El Mourteji El Wafi	Independent	3,688	0.40
Total			928,772	100.00

Valid votes			928,772	96.04
Invalid/blank votes			38,300	3.96
Total votes			967,072	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			1,544,132	62.63
Source: AMI

Tables

Results by wilaya
Wilaya	Ghazouani		Abeid		Boubacar		Baba		Maouloud		El Wavi		Neutral		Null
													Neutral		Null
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
Adrar	16,743	68.88%	1,514	6.23%	5,009	20.61%	226	0.93%	751	3.09%	63	0.26%	178	0.71%	668	2.66%
Assaba	47,275	68.19%	10,702	15.44%	8,805	12.70%	921	1.33%	1,418	2.05%	203	0.29%	305	0.42%	2,496	3.46%
Brakna	46,038	50.64%	10,643	11.71%	15,947	17.54%	16,836	18.52%	1,291	1.42%	160	0.18%	1,350	1.42%	2,753	2.90%
Dakhlet Nouadhibou	14,248	30.04%	15,587	32.86%	10,713	22.59%	5,534	11.67%	1,075	2.27%	273	0.58%	491	1.00%	1,010	2.06%
Gorgol	23,594	35.95%	21,429	32.65%	3,451	5.26%	15,196	23.16%	1,795	2.74%	158	0.24%	937	1.36%	2,435	3.53%
Guidimagha	19,454	41.69%	16,131	34.56%	4,021	8.62%	6,461	13.84%	529	1.13%	73	0.16%	573	1.16%	1,958	3.98%
Hodh Ech Chargui	75,463	81.80%	2,877	3.12%	12,156	13.18%	367	0.40%	594	0.64%	799	0.87%	336	0.35%	2,809	2.94%
Hodh El Gharbi	52,350	75.07%	3,421	4.91%	11,647	16.70%	625	0.90%	1,430	2.05%	266	0.38%	243	0.34%	1,849	2.57%
Inchiri	5,659	60.67%	753	8.07%	2,244	24.06%	472	5.06%	180	1.93%	19	0.20%	94	0.98%	193	2.01%
Nouakchott-Nord	29,055	39.77%	15,003	20.54%	22,558	30.88%	2,776	3.80%	3,133	4.29%	534	0.73%	824	1.08%	2,368	3.11%
Nouakchott-Ouest	25,379	34.89%	20,055	27.57%	13,468	18.51%	10,124	13.92%	3,414	4.69%	306	0.42%	1,164	1.53%	2,386	2,386
Nouakchott-Sud	30,889	31.39%	30,621	31.12%	18,742	19.05%	15,054	15.30%	2,667	2.71%	433	0.44%	1,472	1.43%	3,203	3.11%
Tagant	19,467	73.47%	1,105	4.17%	4,622	17.44%	73	0.28%	1,186	4.48%	44	0.17%	152	0.56%	549	2.02%
Tiris Zemmour	8,772	44.07%	2,991	15.03%	5,690	28.59%	1,834	9.21%	539	2.71%	77	0.39%	174	0.84%	556	2.69%
Trarza	65,068	57.77%	17,150	15.23%	25,021	22.22%	2,808	2.49%	2,369	2.10%	211	0.19%	1,119	0.96%	3,352	2.86%

Diaspora	3,553	35.73%	2,667	26.82%	1,901	19.12%	1,470	14.78%	285	2.87%	69	0.69%	92	0.90%	211	2.06%
Total	483,007	52.00%	172,649	18.59%	165,995	17.87%	80,777	8.70%	22,656	2.44%	3,688	0.40%	9,504	0.98%	28,796	2.98%
Source: Constitutional Council

Results by moughataa
Moughataa	Ghazouani		Abeid		Boubacar		Baba		Maouloud		El Wavi		Neutral		Null
													Neutral		Null
	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%	Votes	%
Aïoun	12,673	71.01%	897	5.03%	3,779	21.17%	40	0.22%	379	2.12%	80	0.45%	52	0.28%	451	2.46%
Akjoujt	3,422	59.27%	300	5.20%	1,622	28.09%	288	4.99%	128	2.22%	14	0.24%	64	1.08%	95	1.60%
Aleg	20,143	64.45%	2,324	7.44%	8,027	25.68%	286	0.92%	427	1.37%	49	0.16%	137	0.42%	935	2.89%
Amourj
Aoujeft	4,413	77.75%	81	1.43%	797	14.04%	19	0.33%	355	6.25%	11	0.19%	24	0.42%	73	1.26%
Arafat	19,730	44.28%	7,486	16.80%	12,439	27.92%	2,859	6.42%	1,725	3.87%	318	0.71%	508	1.10%	1,289	2.78%
Atar	9,333	63.89%	1,237	8.47%	3,629	24.84%	190	1.30%	181	1.24%	38	0.26%	138	0.90%	516	3.38%
Bababé	3,487	36.52%	1,121	11.74%	483	5.06%	4,378	45.85%	63	0.66%	16	0.17%	328	3.24%	263	2.59%
Barkéol
Bassiknou
Bénichab	2,237	62.96%	453	12.75%	622	17.51%	184	5.18%	52	1.46%	5	0.14%	30	0.82%	98	2.66%
Bir Moghrein
Boghé	5,820	30.29%	3,834	19.96%	1,738	9.05%	7,433	38.69%	346	1.80%	41	0.21%	482	2.38%	551	2.72%
Boumdeid
Boutilimit
Chami	1,818	54.40%	441	13.20%	977	29.23%	38	1.14%	55	1.65%	13	0.39%	53	1.52%	84	2.41%
Chinguetti	1,611	67.13%	167	6.96%	386	16.08%	16	0.67%	207	8.63%	13	0.54%	9	0.36%	63	2.55%
Dar Naïm	8,927	37.59%	6,327	26.64%	6,145	25.87%	1,455	6.13%	835	3.52%	61	0.26%	303	1.21%	900	3.61%
Djiguenni
El Mina	5,985	20.37%	13,193	44.90%	3,142	10.69%	6,619	22.52%	391	1.33%	56	0.19%	543	1.75%	1,047	3.38%
F'Déirick
Ghabou
Guerou
Kaédi
Kankoussa
Keur Macène
Kiffa
Koubenni	12,456	67.02%	1,470	7.91%	3,646	19.62%	300	1.61%	630	3.39%	84	0.45%	84	0.44%	614	3.18%
Ksar	9,623	46.13%	3,862	18.51%	5,395	25.86%	923	4.42%	971	4.65%	87	0.42%	304	1.39%	747	3.41%
M'Bagne
M'Bout
Maghama
Magta Lahjar
Méderdra
Monguel
Moudjéria
N'Beiket Lahwach
Néma
Nouadhibou	12,430	28.19%	15,146	34.35%	9,736	22.08%	5,496	12.47%	1,020	2.31%	260	0.59%	438	0.96%	926	2.04%
Ouad Naga
Ouadane	1,386	85.45%	29	1.79%	197	12.15%	1	0.06%	8	0.49%	1	0.06%	7	0.43%	16	0.97%
Oualata
Ould Yengé
R'Kiz
Riyad	5,174	21.15%	9,942	40.64%	3,161	12.92%	5,576	22.79%	551	2.25%	59	0.24%	421	1.63%	867	3.37%
Rosso
Sebkha	2,720	13.04%	9,795	46.97%	983	4.71%	7,018	33.65%	304	1.46%	35	0.17%	386	1.75%	780	3.54%
Sélibaby
Tamchekett	9,449	83.90%	399	3.54%	1,297	11.52%	25	0.22%	74	0.66%	18	0.16%	23	0.20%	188	1.64%
Tevragh Zeina	13,036	42.01%	6,398	20.62%	7,090	22.85%	2,183	7.04%	2,139	6.89%	184	0.59%	474	1.46%	859	2.65%
Teyarett	8,493	40.08%	3,808	17.97%	6,659	31.43%	985	4.65%	1,099	5.19%	144	0.68%	266	1.21%	596	2.70%
Tichitt
Tidjikja
Timbédra
Tintane	17,772	80.62%	655	2.97%	2,925	13.27%	260	1.18%	347	1.57%	84	0.38%	84	0.37%	596	2.62%
Toujounine	11,635	41.37%	4,868	17.31%	9,754	34.69%	336	1.19%	1,199	4.26%	329	1.17%	255	0.87%	872	2.98%
Zouérate

Africa
America
Asia
Europe
Total	483,007	52.00%	172,649	18.59%	165,995	17.87%	80,777	8.70%	22,656	2.44%	3,688	0.40%	9,504	0.98%	28,796	2.98%
Source: Constitutional Council

Notes

^ Resigned in the aftermath of the 1979 coup d'état.^[6]
^ Simultaneously served as the President of the Senate. The first black leader of Mauritania.
^ Founded in 2022.

References

^ "راتب الرئيس الموريتاني الشهري لايزال يعادل راتب رئيس الصين السنوي". 2 February 2015.
^ "Names and figures .. salaries of the heads of the world".
^ "Ghazouani sworn in as new Mauritanian president: CENI". www.aa.com.tr.
^ "Mauritania Constitutional Council Confirms Mohamed Ould Ghazouani as President". Voice of America.
^ Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
^ "Mauritanian President Resigns 11 Months After Coup". The New York Times. 4 June 1979. Retrieved 26 March 2019.