The Cybercrime Unit of the Gendarmerie summoned Ahmed Ould Samba Ould Abdallah, the leader of the Democratic Opposition Front, following a social media post in which he accused President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of practicing racist and corrupt policies.
In a widely circulated video as he made his way to the Gendarmerie, Ould Samba confirmed that the summons was related to his Facebook post. In the video, he reiterated the content of his post.
In his post, Ould Samba accused Ould Ghazouani of being a “racist,” adding that he “takes pride in racism as if it were an achievement and sends a message to both domestic and international audiences: This is the Mauritania I want and am working to enforce.”
Ould Samba further claimed in his lengthy post: “He treats us as factions competing for power, with each group seeking to monopolize it while excluding and marginalizing the others.”
He also alleged that Ould Ghazouani “sends an unencrypted message to the Bidhan (Arab-Moorish) community, implying, ‘I am your president, and I exclude all black people for your sake.’ He boasts, ‘I established a high school within the military institution during my tenure as army chief and only admitted the sons of Bidhan. I barred young Haratines and black Mauritanians from reaching officer ranks or receiving promotions, ensuring that the leadership of the military institution remains exclusive to the Bidhan.'”
Ould Samba had previously been imprisoned for just over a month, having been released on November 6 after completing his pre-trial detention. His imprisonment came after being referred to prison by the public prosecutor in the Western Nouakchott region, based on alleged offenses under the Symbol and Cybercrime Laws, according to the prosecution.
A recent audio recording of Ould Samba, from late September, surfaced in which he fiercely criticized the Mauritanian government and regime, accusing them of corruption, racism, and fostering these practices.
