Ghazouani, Mohamed Ould, 1956–, Mauritanian military and political leader, president of Mauritania (2019–). He joined the military in the late 1970s, rising to become commander of the armored corps (1991–2004), head of national security (2005–8), armed forces chief of staff (2008–18), and defense minister (2018–19). He participated in the coups that toppled President Taya (2005) and President Abdallahi (2008). In 2019 Ghazouani was elected president with strong support from outgoing president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
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