Mauritania: Parliament Forms Committee to Investigate Deals Concluded Under Previous Govt

Mauritania's former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz waits for the arrival of the French President at Nouakchott airport, Mauritania, July 2, 2018. Ludovic Marin/File Photo
Mauritania's former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz waits for the arrival of the French President at Nouakchott airport, Mauritania, July 2, 2018. Ludovic Marin/File Photo
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Mauritania: Parliament Forms Committee to Investigate Deals Concluded Under Previous Govt

Mauritania's former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz waits for the arrival of the French President at Nouakchott airport, Mauritania, July 2, 2018. Ludovic Marin/File Photo
Mauritania's former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz waits for the arrival of the French President at Nouakchott airport, Mauritania, July 2, 2018. Ludovic Marin/File Photo

The Economic Affairs Committee in Mauritania’s Parliament has agreed to form a committee to investigate files and deals, suspected of being corrupted, under former President Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz.

The committee approved the proposal on Tuesday and referred it to a public session during which the formation of the committee will be voted on to enter into force, EPA quoted a parliamentary source as saying.

The probe will include means of disbursing oil revenues fund and state properties that have been sold, activities of a controversial Chinese fishing company called Poly Hong Dong, the running of a charitable body affiliated to the mines and deals for solar public lighting, operation of the container dock at the port of Nouakchott, and the liquidation of imports and exports.

Twenty-four deputies have recommended the formation of the committee to investigate these files on suspicion of their corruption.

Its formation comes in light of a silent political crisis between the current president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and the former president, Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz.

It was settled for Ghazouani after his ruling party sided with him being its exclusive reference.



Trump’s Return: Jubilation in Tel Aviv, Worries in Ramallah

A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
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Trump’s Return: Jubilation in Tel Aviv, Worries in Ramallah

A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)

The excitement among Israel’s ruling coalition leaders over Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election matches the joy of his supporters in the US.
In contrast, the rest of the world, especially the Palestinians, remains cautious and worried, waiting to see how he will act.
Their only response is hope—hope that he might end wars and shift his known “hostile” policies.
Trump sent a clear message when he declared after his win, “I will not start wars, I will end them.” Both Palestinians and Israelis took note of this, each interpreting it through their own lens.
However, both sides must wait two months for Trump to take office and even longer to see how he will approach foreign policy.
In Israel, the ruling coalition is celebrating with the expectation that Trump will offer strong military, security, and political support—not just in their conflicts with Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, but also in their broader goals, including ending the Palestinian dream of statehood, expelling them, and annexing the West Bank, Golan Heights, and possibly parts of Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was almost the first leader to congratulate Trump, followed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
While Israelis eagerly await Trump’s arrival, Palestinian leaders in Ramallah are worried he won’t change his previous policies.
A research paper from a London-based monitoring center for political and strategic studies highlighted that Trump’s previous decisions harmed Palestinians, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing it as Israel’s capital, and cutting funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
These actions helped isolate the Palestinian Authority and weaken its political demands.
The paper expressed concerns that Trump might continue or intensify these policies, such as reducing international support for Palestinians or backing more settlement expansion.
For Palestinians, this could worsen political, economic, and humanitarian challenges.
Trump is also known for his strong stance against resistance factions.
After the death of Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar, Trump called it a crucial step toward regional stability.
For now, Palestinians are left waiting.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Trump, saying he looks forward to working with him for peace and security in the region.