Three protesters have died in detention in Mauritania, the interior ministry announced on Tuesday. This follows mass arrests made by security forces in the town of Kaedi, where unrest erupted in the aftermath of the country’s presidential election.
According to the ministry, the protests turned violent late Monday in the southern town near the Senegal border, leading security forces to confront demonstrators and detain several individuals. “Unfortunately, under these circumstances, three demonstrators died. Two of them died in the detention facility in the presence of their fellow detainees, while the third died later in the hospital,” the ministry stated.
While the ministry did not provide specific details on the causes of death or the total number of detainees, it did confirm that an investigation would be conducted.
The unrest came after President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani was declared the winner of a second term on Sunday, according to provisional results. His main rival, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, has rejected these results, alleging irregularities.
In response to the ongoing protests rejecting the election results, authorities restricted access to mobile internet on Tuesday, as reported by internet monitor Netblocks.
This is not the first instance of post-election unrest in Mauritania. Following the 2019 presidential vote, similar opposition concerns about the electoral process led to small-scale protests.
Melissa Enoch
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