Mauritania seeks longer sentence for ex-president Aziz

Mauritanian prosecutors have appealed for a harsher sentence against former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, requesting 20 years in prison for abuse of office and illicit enrichment, AFP reports. Earlier this month, an appeals court sentenced Aziz to 15 years, up from an initial five-year term handed down in 2023.

Aziz, who ruled from 2008 to 2019 after seizing power in a coup, was found to have illicitly accumulated $70 million during his tenure. The court upheld asset seizures and revoked his civic rights.

The former president is one of the rare African leaders convicted of corruption committed while in office. Prosecutors argue that the gravity of his crimes—exploiting state power for personal gain—warrants a longer sentence. His conviction marks a significant development in anti-corruption accountability in a region where impunity for top officials is often the norm.