Mauritania: President Debunks Claims He Fled the Country

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has made an appearance at a rally to prove his presence in the country after reports pointed out that he fled Mauritania few days before the August 5 referendum.

The Mauritanian President, accompanied by his wife, showed up at a rally in Nouadhibou Tuesday, to deflate the rumors claiming that he fled the country with his family amid growing political tensions taking place few days before the referendum.

The President who is said to be seeking another third mandate through the referendum qualified the claims as “baseless lies”.

The opposition has condemned the referendum and called on its supporters to boycott it.

Critics of the President argue that the referendum will pave the way to constitutional reforms including change of the presidential tenure.

The Mauritanian leader came to power in a coup in 2008. The following year he won presidential elections and extended his stay in power in 2014 via another electoral win highly contested by the opposition.