This is a list of heads of state of Mauritania since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
A total of nine people have served as head of state of Mauritania (not counting one acting president). Additionally, one person, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.
The current head of state of Mauritania is President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, since 1 August 2019.
Term limits
As of 2024, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Mauritania. The first president who adhered to the term limits was Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in 2019.
Titles
- 1960–1961: Acting Head of State
- 1961–1978: President of the Islamic Republic
- 1978–1979: Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery
- 1979: Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery
- 1979–1992: Head of State and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation
- 1992–2005: President of the Islamic Republic
- 2005–2007: Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy
- 2007–2008: President of the Islamic Republic
- 2008–2009: President of the High Council of State
- 2009–present: President of the Islamic Republic
List of officeholders
;Political parties
;Other factions
;Status
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name<br>
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Political party
! rowspan="2" |Prime minister(s)
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 1
| 90px
| Moktar Ould Daddah<br>
| 1961<br>1966<br>1971<br>1976
| 1960
| 1978<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
|
| Himself
|-
| 2
| 90px
| Mustafa Ould Salek<br>
| —
| 1978
| 1979<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Bouceif<br>Sidi<br>Haidalla
|-
| 3
| 90px
| Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly<br>
| —
| 1979
| 1980<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Haidalla
|-
| 4
| 90px
| Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla<br>
| —
| 1980
| 1984<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military
| Himself<br>Bneijara<br>Taya<br>Himself
|-
| 5
| 90px
| Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya<br>
| 1992<br>1997<br>2003
| 1984
| 2005<br>
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military / <br>PRDS
| Himself<br>Boubacar<br>Khouna<br>Guig<br>Khouna<br>M'Bareck
|-
| 6
| 90px
| Ely Ould Mohamed Vall<br>
| —
| 2005
| 2007
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military<br>
| Boubacar
|-
| rowspan=2|7
| rowspan=2|90px
| rowspan=2|Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi<br>
| rowspan=2|2007
| rowspan=2| 2007
| rowspan=2| 2008<br>
| rowspan=2|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| rowspan=2|Zeidane<br>Waghef
|-
! style="background:;" |
| ADIL
|-
| 8
| 90px
| Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz<br>
| —
| 2008
| 2009
|
! style="background:;" |
| Military<br>
| Laghdaf
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| rowspan=2|–
| rowspan=2|90px
| rowspan=2|Ba Mamadou Mbaré<br>
| rowspan=2|—
| rowspan=2| 2009
| rowspan=2| 2009
| rowspan=2|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| rowspan=2|Laghdaf
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
! style="background:;" |
| UPR
|-
|
| 90px
| Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz<br>
| 2009<br>2014
| 2009
| 2019
|
! style="background:;" |
| UPR
| Laghdaf<br>Hademine<br>Béchir
|-
| rowspan=2|9
| rowspan=2|90px
| rowspan=2|Mohamed Ould Ghazouani<br>
| rowspan=2|2019<br>2024
| rowspan=2| 2019
| rowspan=2|Incumbent
| rowspan=2|
! style="background:;" |
| UPR
| rowspan=2|Béchir<br>Sidiya<br>Bilal<br>Djay
|-
! style="background:;"|
| El Insaf
|}
Timeline
Latest election
See also
- Politics of Mauritania
- List of prime ministers of Mauritania
- List of colonial governors of Mauritania
Notes
References
External links
- World Statesmen – Mauritania