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Today (Friday), Mauritanian Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Ajay submitted the resignation of his government to President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, less than twenty-four hours after the president received the report of the investigation committee into the two fires at the two electrical transmission stations in Nouakchott, a report that placed responsibility on senior levels in the government apparatus.

Ould Ajay left the presidential palace with a brief statement, in which he announced that “the successes that have been achieved throughout this period are due, first and foremost, to the clarity of the directions that His Excellency has been directing us with, his constant keeping up with the work he has undertaken, and the dedication and sacrifice of the government and administrative teams.” Adding: “And of course there was any deficiency, that is my responsibility.”

The Prime Minister began his statement by saying: “I was honored a short while ago to have a generous meeting with His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mohamed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazouani, and during this meeting I presented to His Excellency the resignation of the government.” He stressed that receiving the President was “an opportunity to express to His Excellency my sincere and sincere thanks for the precious trust he bestowed upon me by assigning me, since August 2, 2024, to coordinate government work.”

Ould Ajay praised the president's "sound guidance, constant support and accompaniment, and generous understanding throughout this period." He thanked “all the distinguished ministers and all the administrative teams with whom I had the honor to work,” and congratulated them for “the great effort and great sacrifices they made, and the remarkable results they achieved,” in implementation of the president’s program “and in service to our beloved country.”

He concluded with a phrase that suggested that the page on his government had been turned: “I wish the new government good luck and success, and our beloved country further development and prosperity.”

The Prime Minister did not mention the reasons for the resignation, nor did he mention the investigation committee report. The presidency has not yet issued anything indicating that the resignation was accepted, or that the government was assigned to manage the ongoing work, or the date of appointing a successor to Ould Ajay.

Just hours before the resignation, Ould Ajayi was at the forefront of managing the power station fire crisis, as he accompanied the head of the investigation committee, former Minister Ousmane Mamoudou Kan, to deliver the report to the president (Thursday). He then chaired the meeting of the ministerial committee charged with managing the crisis, during which he congratulated the government sectors for “restoring service in record time.”

The Prime Minister announced at the same meeting that the President “immediately committed the government” to implementing the recommendations. These recommendations include administrative procedures “according to the schedule of responsibilities” contained in the report, “legal follow-ups” against every violation, and publishing the report “in full transparency” for public opinion.

The table of responsibilities did not stop at the contractor and the consulting office, but rather rose in the government hierarchy to the Minister of Energy and Oil, who recorded “deficiencies in the system of following up and monitoring the agreement, and in supervising the structures charged with its implementation.” It also included the Secretary-General of the Ministry, the Director-General of Electricity, and the former and current General Directors of the Mauritanian Electricity Company (SOMLEK), in addition to the procurement committees.

Two fires broke out on August 21 and 22 in the capital's eastern and northern substations, causing a power outage in large neighborhoods for periods ranging between three and five days. The report estimated the direct cost at more than 220 million new ounces, in addition to 143.9 million ounces for the rehabilitation of the two stations.

The report linked the two fires to three new electrical connections, the deal for which was assigned to a company described as “unqualified,” and which were operated despite the reservations of the consulting office. He recommended that the deal be annulled, and that the “challenged authenticity” certificate submitted by the company be referred to the judiciary.

Ould Ajay was appointed Prime Minister on August 2, 2024, with the start of President Ghazouani’s second term, after serving as Director of the Office of the President of the Republic. His government made two amendments during two years and two months in power. He is the third Prime Minister during the Ghazouani era, after Ismail Ould Badda Ould Cheikh Sidiya and Mohamed Ould Bilal.

The resignation opens the door to the formation of a new government whose first task will be to implement the report’s recommendations, including restructuring “Somlak” and clarifying its financial relationship with the state.

Political circles in Nouakchott are awaiting the name of the next Prime Minister, and whether the new government will bring about changes that affect the sectors referred to in the report.