Report No.283: Democratic Backsliding in Mauritania: Challenges and Trends

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This report examines recent political developments in Mauritania which show signs of democratic backsliding, with increasing restrictions on political freedoms and declining public trust in political institutions. In recent years, the country has witnessed attempts to introduce constitutional amendments allowing the extension of presidential terms, changes to electoral laws that have restricted the participation of opposition parties, as well as restrictions on the media and suppression of civil society organizations. To halt this democratic regression in Mauritania, it is essential to implement a set of reform policies.