Last week, Mauritania's former Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said that if elected president of the country he would stop granting Mauritanian citizenship to Sahrawis from Tindouf. Ould Ghazouani's statement was denounced by the Front which sent a delegation to meet officials from Nouakchott. The Mauritanian authorities want to contain the anger of the Polisario after Mauritania's former Defense Minister Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who is also one of the six candidates expected to vie for the Mauritanian presidency, said he will stand against granting Mauritanian citizenship to Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps once elected. Ould Ghazouani's words stirred a wave of anger in the Front, which threatened to take revenge on the candidate who enjoys President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's support. Reacting to the threats of Ould Ghazouani, the Polisario Front made officials in Nouakchott know about its anger through unofficial channels, threatening to influence the vote by pushing Sahrawis with Mauritanian citizenship to boycott the candi The Polisario can influence more than 6,000 voters The Polisario's threats were not taken lightly by the Mauritanian regime, especially as Ould Ghazouani who represents the Union for the Republic, a political party created by Ould Abdel Aziz, would not be able to win elections in the first round. The party needs to attract as much votes as it could on June 22nd, especially as its opponent Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar is gaining popularity in Mauritania ahead of elections. Ould Boubacar is supported by opposition parties and Mauritanian billionaire Mohamed Ould Bouamatou, the cousin and main enemy of the current president. In this context, a delegation from the Polisario leadership, led by «the president of the Front's Sahrawi National Council» Khatri Addouh, met with high ranked officials in Tiris, in northern Mauritania. The recent statements of Ould Ghazouani were at the heart of the meeting in Tiris. Indeed, 6,000 Sahrawis with Mauritanian citizenship will be participating to the vote, scheduled for next Saturday. They are Sahrawis who reside in the Tindouf camps and who go to Mauritania to vote. For the record, Ould Ghazouani told the crowds during an election rally, held Wednesday in the city of Kaedi, that he «will not be granting Mauritanian citizenship to Sahrawis living in Tindouf or elsewhere». The politician believes that the procedure is «unacceptable», adding that granting Sahrawis this status would affect Mauritanians».
