Mauritanians have gone to the polls to elect their next president, with the incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani widely expected to win after positioning Mauritania as a strategic ally of the West in a region swept by coups and violence.

Mr Ghazouni, who is seeking re-election on the pledge of providing security and economic growth, is a former army chief and the current president of the African Union.

He came to power in 2019 following the first democratic transition in the country’s history, and on Saturday promised to respect the results of the vote.

Mr Ghazouni said after voting in Ksar, a suburb of the capital Nouakchott: “The last word belongs to the Mauritanian voters.

“I commit myself to respecting their choice.”

Although his opponents accused him of corruption and mismanagement, he remains popular among Mauritanians who see him as a beacon of stability.

The vote is taking place in a particularly tense regional climate, with Mauritania’s neighbouring countries shaken by military coups and jihadi violence.

Two million people are eligible to vote in a nation of five million.

Mr Ghazouani is facing six opponents, including an anti-slavery activist, leaders of several opposition parties and a neurosurgeon, who accused the government of corruption and clientelism.

Mauritania is rich in natural resources such as iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, gold, oil and natural gas.

It is poised to become a gas producer by the end of the year, with the planned launch of the BP-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim offshore gas project at the border with Senegal.

However, almost 60% of the population live in poverty, according to the United Nations, working as farmers or employed in the informal sector.

With few economic opportunities for young people at home, many are attempting to cross the Atlantic to reach Europe, and some are even trying to get to the United States through Mexico.

Saturday’s vote was unfolding peacefully, according to observers, with the polls due to close at 7pm local time (8pm BST). Partial results are expected on Sunday.

“We have not noticed any anomalies or problems,” declared Taghiyouallah Ould Ledhem, spokesman for CENI, the independent electoral commission.