President of the Republic in Ouadane: The Country’s Progress and Prosperity depend on the Ability to strengthen the Bond of Citizenship

Ouadane, December 19, 2025 (MNA – His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, affirmed that since assuming office, he has spared no effort to strengthen the bond of citizenship, making it the sole foundation of the relationship between the state and its citizens, as well as a pillar of social harmony and national unity, firmly convinced that the country’s survival, progress, and prosperity depend on our ability to reinforce and protect the bond of citizenship against the negative influences of other affiliations.

His Excellency added, during his supervision of the launch of the fourteenth edition of the Madain Heritage Festival today, Friday in Ouaane, that this city, like our other heritage cities, has recorded luminous chapters in the history of our nation, affirming that this festival represents one of the testimonies of the commitment to preserving this precious heritage, by promoting our national heritage, establishing local development that keeps the residents in their areas, stimulating cultural and heritage industries, and contributing to the development of these cities in a manner consistent with their heritage characteristics.

The speech by His Excellency the President of the Republic is as follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

And may Allah’s blessings be upon His noble Prophet.

Mr. Leader of the Democratic Opposition Foundation;

Ladies and Gentlemen Ministers;

Ladies and Gentlemen Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Mr. Governor;

Ladies and Gentlemen Presidents of the Regional Councils, Deputies, and Mayors;

Ladies and Gentlemen Presidents of Political Parties;

Ladies and Gentlemen Guests of the Heritage Cities;

Ladies and Gentlemen Invited Guests;

Distinguished Audience;

I am pleased to express to all of you, the residents of the city of Ouadane, my sincere gratitude for your warm reception and genuine hospitality, and I congratulate you on your festival. I would like us to remember together, and pray for the soul of, a prominent political and national figure who joined us here last time: our brother Hamedou Baba, may God have mercy on him. Let us also pray for a national figure from your city who also participated in that same edition: our brother Walid Ould Wedad, may God grant him paradise.

I would also like to extend my thanks to all the festival guests, both from within the country and abroad, appreciating their eagerness to join us today, despite the distances and numerous commitments, to celebrate this rare heritage treasure: the city of Ouadane.

From Al-Arbaeen Street to libraries filled with precious manuscripts, passing through its unique and remarkable architecture, everything in this city speaks of its antiquity and the distinguished economic and cultural brilliance it has exhibited for many consecutive centuries.

Ouadane has written, like all our heritage cities, bright chapters in the history of our nation, chapters that we cherish and take pride in. And this festival, of which we are launching the fourteenth edition today, is nothing but a testament to our commitment to preserving this precious heritage, promoting our national heritage, and laying the foundation for local development that keeps residents in their communities, encourages cultural and heritage industries, and contributes to the development of these cities in a way that aligns with their heritage characteristics.

The residents of the city of Ouadane;

At the opening of the tenth edition of this festival, I called out here, from your city, for the necessity of breaking free from the illusions of false hierarchies, and from the preconceived judgments and imaginary stereotypes they entail, which weaken national unity and social cohesion. It was a call stemming from the strength of my conviction that a modern state is fundamentally based only on the concept of citizenship, which requires equality in dignity, rights, and duties, and demands liberation from tribal, sectarian, and class-based loyalties that contradict its essence.

I am firmly convinced that our country’s survival, progress, and prosperity depend on our ability to strengthen the bond of citizenship and protect it against the negative influences of various other ties.

Therefore, I have spared no effort, since assuming the reins of power, in order to strengthen the bond of citizenship, making it the sole foundation of the relationship between the state and its citizens, and a pillar of social harmony and national unity.

In this context, we worked, for example, on consolidating the rule of law and launched the Republican School to enable our children to benefit, under similar conditions, from effective educational services and to instill the values of citizenship and civility in the youth. We also positively differentiated in elite schools by allocating seats for children from families on the social registry and providing them with educational support that qualifies them to excel in these schools.

As we expanded in establishing and strengthening school guarantees, supporting retention rates and assisting low-income families, we also launched a comprehensive reform of our administrative system aimed at making it closer to the citizen and stronger in enabling them to complete their transactions and obtain their rights with dignity, solely on the basis of citizenship; striving so that everyone feels, in various aspects of administrative interaction and in the provision of services, absolute equality in duties and in the ability to claim their rights.

 

We have also fought fragility Upholding rights.
We also fought fragility and poverty by building a social safety net that continues to expand in terms of the number of beneficiaries and diversify in the types of support it provides, such as the state covering the health insurance costs for poor families, including parents and all higher education students in health insurance, and establishing the National Health Solidarity Fund, which provides health insurance for low-income families for a symbolic contribution.

Not to mention the many hospital facilities, such as the free provision of certain health services to all citizens, including appointments, transportation of road accident victims, medical transport between health units, emergency and resuscitation medications, tuberculosis drugs, kidney dialysis and transplantation, as well as nutrition and vaccination supplies. In addition, there is support for covering a package of services such as treatment for pregnant women, heart diseases, cancer, and malaria.

This is in addition to ensuring regular cash transfers for poor families and providing subsidized foodstuffs to protect the purchasing power of our most vulnerable citizens.

At the same time, we have also made sure to involve everyone in public affairs by promoting decentralization, expanding proportional representation, and including women and youth, while ensuring the representation of people with special needs.

We have also expanded the development of basic services such as water, electricity, health, education, and infrastructure, seeking to make them available equally to all, linking rights with citizenship and eliminating injustice and exclusion.

This is in addition to many other measures that would contribute to promoting the concept of citizenship and, consequently, strengthening national unity and social cohesion.

Ladies and gentlemen;

We are well aware that what has been achieved in strengthening the bond of citizenship and enhancing social cohesion is the sole responsibility of the state. The state understands that, as important as it is, it is not enough; rather, it must be reinforced by a profound transformation in mentalities and behaviors, which would effectively reduce the negative impact of tribalism, sectarianism, and classism on the bond of citizenship.

The history of nations and peoples shows that the transformation of mindsets and behaviors fundamentally depends on the political, intellectual, media, and artistic elites, as well as on civil society in general, and the state alone will not be able to achieve it.

The strange thing is that the elites of our country are convinced of the necessity of strengthening national unity and the importance of consolidating the concept of citizenship, yet their conflicts, differences, and disputes often overshadow this conviction, causing the goal of reinforcing national unity and consolidating the concept of citizenship to fall out of their priorities and diminishing their contribution to achieving this goal, whether they participate consciously or inadvertently in hindering it.

Indeed, differences and opposing views are commendable, as they allow democratic systems to live and develop. They are desirable for us, we respect them, and we consider them absolutely indispensable. However, they should not come at the expense of the foundations of our social entity and our core commonalities, for which we all bear the responsibility of strengthening and consolidating.it.

Our consensus on these commonalities and our efforts to strengthen and consolidate them in no way diminish the wide space for differences and diversities, which are the spirit of democratic life. Therefore, all of us—government, political and cultural elites, and civil society—must act as one hand in protecting these commonalities.

I have not recently called for an inclusive dialogue that excludes no party or subject except out of my conviction of the necessity to build a comprehensive national consensus on these commonalities, which strengthens the bond of citizenship and enhances national unity and social cohesion.

It is evident, of course, that the consensus on commonalities will not last now or in the future except through the active participation of our youth, the hope of our nation and the engine of its transformation and growth.

We greatly rely on our youth to contribute with energy and effectiveness in strengthening the bond of citizenship and giving it priority over all other bonds.

In conclusion, I declare, with God’s blessing, the opening of this 14th edition of the Madain Heritage Festival, wishing it great success, and once again expressing our full welcome and appreciation to its guests.

Thanks, peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.