On Saturday evening, the Mauritanian presidency announced a new government formation led by Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Ajay, less than 24 hours after he was reassigned following the resignation of his government. The new formation will assume heavy duties, perhaps the most prominent of which is in the energy sector.
At the presidential palace, the Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic, Aissata Ba Yahya, read out a decree appointing 29 members, including a delegate minister, while 17 ministers retained their portfolios, three moved to other sectors, and about ten ministers left.
The move came the day after President Mohamed Ould Sheikh Ghazouani received the report of the investigation committee into the two power station fires that plunged neighborhoods of Nouakchott into darkness for days.
The most notable aspect of the formation was the departure of a number of veteran ministers who had accompanied Ould Ghazouani in all his governments since he came to power in 2019, which was justified by sources close to power by the fact that these ministers had reached retirement age, with the president heading towards embodying his electoral promise to empower the youth.
The most prominent person to leave the government was Defense Minister Hanna Ould Sidi, who had been in office for seven years since the beginning of Ghazouani’s era. He is a retired army general who previously held prominent military duties, and is one of those close to the president. His name is even being proposed among the names of presidential candidates in 2029.
The Minister of Interior, Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed El Amin, also left the government. He is one of the closest ministers to Ould El Ghazouani, as they belong to the same social environment and have a strong personal relationship.
Ould Mohamed Lamine previously held the Ministry of Interior between 2005 and 2007. After Ould Ghazouani came to power, he appointed him director of his office, before assigning him the Interior Ministry in 2022.
Ould Mohamed Lamine is presented by some political circles as being Ould Ghazouani's candidate for the 2029 presidential elections.
Moulay Ould Mohamed Lagdhaf also left the government, after he had served as Minister-Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic. He was the one who assumed leadership of the government during the rule of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz from 2008 to 2014. Since that time, he has remained a semi-permanent minister in the Presidency of the Republic, and his name is always put forward as a presidential candidate.
The three ministers are described as the pillars of the Ould Ghazouani regime, in addition to Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk, who maintained his position in the new government despite reaching retirement age, which sources interpreted as being a university professor and researcher, and he is also one of the names proposed as a potential presidential candidate.
Mauritanian journalist Al-Haiba Ould Cheikh Sidati described the new government as the “third mission government,” in reference to the demands raised by a number of politicians for the necessity of amending the constitution to open the door to candidacy for a third presidential term for Ould Ghazouani, as the current constitution prohibits that.
Ould Sheikh Sidati wrote in a post on Facebook that one of the most prominent features of the new government is that “every person with an opinion or reservation, or rather an ambition that conflicts with it, has been removed from it.”
He added: “The most prominent departures, without a doubt, are the two constants in Ghazouani’s governments, the Ministers of Defense and Interior. One of them maintained his position despite more than ten government changes during the Ghazouani era, and the second is considered one of the pillars of the regime.”
Ould Ghazouani assumed the reins of government for the first time at the beginning of August 2019, and was then re-elected for a second presidential term following his victory in the July 2024 elections, so that his current term will extend until 2029.
The new government is handling heavy files, most notably the energy file, which was assigned to Mohamed Ould Abdel Fattah, High Commissioner of the Senegal River Investment Organization, as his mission there ends next November. He previously served as Minister of Energy between 2016 and 2020, and has extensive experience in the sector.
Big problems await Ould Abdel Fattah, as he takes over the ministry after an investigation into the fires at power stations in Nouakchott, and with the necessity of implementing 14 corrective measures recommended by the investigation committee, and a promise to add about 300 megawatts before the end of the year from the expansion of the Nouakchott station and a hybrid station with a capacity of 220 megawatts, noting that the guaranteed capacity of this station is 60 megawatts.
Regarding fuel prices, the National Fuel Committee raised prices four times in approximately three months due to the Iran war, so gasoline and diesel rose by about 27 percent. The Prime Minister pledged to prevent a new increase, while a tender was issued to supply the market for six months starting in December.
The inflation rate is 8.9 percent, and the International Monetary Fund mission ended its visit on September 18 without a financing agreement.
Egypt and Indonesia agreed to “transform the strategic partnership into (tangible) cooperation programs and projects whose implementation will be monitored by the relevant authorities in the two countries.” The two countries stressed “the importance of reducing escalation and respecting the sovereignty of the Gulf states.”
During talks on Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed “the solid development witnessed in the defense and security relations between the two countries based on mutual cooperation.” They agreed to “deepen and expand its scope in a way that enhances the national capabilities of both countries.”
During his Asian tour, which included South Korea and Malaysia, Sisi met his Indonesian counterpart at the Indonesian Presidential Palace, Merdeka, on Sunday.
The two presidents witnessed the signing of four memorandums of understanding in the field of “marine affairs and fisheries, statistical cooperation, the action plan on strategic partnership, and exemption from entry visas for holders of diplomatic, important and special passports.”
Al-Sisi said during a press conference: “I agreed with President Subianto to give special priority to enhancing economic and trade cooperation in proportion to the great potential of the two countries, and to work to raise the volume of trade exchange to reach five billion dollars by 2030, while continuing efforts aimed at removing any obstacles that may hinder achieving this goal.”
He stressed “his country’s keenness to encourage Indonesian companies to increase their investments in the Egyptian market.” Based on Egypt’s position as a regional center for production and export, and a strategic gateway to the Arab, African and international markets.”
According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in Egypt, on Saturday, “the value of trade exchange between Egypt and Indonesia amounted to about $1.6 billion during the first eight months of 2026, compared to $1.4 billion during the same period in 2025.”
Al-Sisi indicated agreement with his Indonesian counterpart on “the danger of continuing conflicts and conflicts in many regions of the world.” Because it represents a direct threat to regional and international security and stability.” The importance of giving priority to dialogue and diplomatic means in resolving crises, and giving priority to achieving peace and advancing development efforts, while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, and not interfering in their internal affairs, were stressed.
According to Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy, on Sunday, the Egyptian-Indonesian talks dealt with developments in the Palestinian issue. The two presidents agreed on “achieving a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as the only way to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.”
President Sisi praised the role played by Indonesia as a member of the Peace Council, by supporting efforts to stabilize and protect civilians, rebuild the Gaza Strip, and provide humanitarian aid to the brotherly Palestinian people.
Sisi and Subianto also exchanged views on the situation in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region, and stressed “the importance of supporting efforts to reduce escalation and reaching political settlements to various crises, as the only way to achieve sustainable security and stability.”
The Egyptian President spoke about the “existential importance of the Nile River issue” for his country, as the Nile River is the lifeline of the Egyptian people, and stressed “his country’s adherence to its water rights and its categorical rejection of any unilateral measures that would harm its water security, or detract from its historical and acquired rights.”
For his part, the Indonesian President said that he “regrets if there are violations of international laws or attempts to detract from the water rights of countries,” and noted that he “supports Egypt’s efforts to protect its water rights.”
In this context, a joint statement was issued on Sunday by the Egyptian-Indonesian summit in Jakarta. The two presidents affirmed their “commitment to continuing to enhance political cooperation and coordination by exchanging high-level visits on a regular basis, and activating existing bilateral mechanisms, including joint committee meetings.”
As well as “deepening bilateral trade and economic cooperation by taking advantage of the great potential and opportunities available on both sides, and facilitating the engagement of the business community and investments.” They stressed the importance of “achieving greater strategic convergence and close coordination between Indonesia and Egypt in multilateral and regional forums.”
In April 2025 in Cairo, the Egyptian and Indonesian presidents signed a declaration to raise relations between the two countries to the level of “strategic partnership.”
On Sunday, Sisi and Subianto expressed their deep concern “about the continuation of violence and Israeli military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.” They condemned “Israel’s illegal settlement policies and activities.”
They reiterated their “categorical rejection of any attempts aimed at forced displacement or expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland under any pretext.” They noted their “commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, including the full implementation of US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza.”
The “Trump plan” includes 20 points to end the conflict in Gaza, and moves from a ceasefire to disarmament, technocratic rule, reconstruction, and Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
Regarding the situation in the Gulf region, the two presidents expressed deep concern “about the continued escalation and expansion of the scope of hostilities, and the resulting serious repercussions on regional security and stability, the safety of civilians, freedom of navigation, energy security, and the global economy.”
They both called for "an immediate reduction in escalation, and for all parties to exercise the utmost restraint." They stressed "the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, adhering to international law and the United Nations Charter, and settling disputes through dialogue and diplomacy."
They also stressed “the importance of full compliance with the principles of international law regulating transboundary watercourses, including the principle of not causing harm.”
