President of the Republic before the Inhabitants of Hodh Chargui: Thanks to Concerted Efforts, the Region will become a Hub of Prosperous Development

His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, presided, on Thursday evening in Néma, over a large public rally, during which he addressed the residents of the Hodh Chargui region, expressing his delight at this visit and his thanks to the residents of the region for the warm welcome he received, as well as for the strong turnout and large popular attendance at the rally.His Excellency the President of the Republic explained that this visit aims to assess the situation in the region, listen to the concerns of citizens, and gather their opinions on national issues in general, and those relating specifically to the region, which receives particular attention, reflected in the priority given to development projects, which has been realized through the allocation of 100 billion old ouguiyas to local development programs.

His Excellency the President of the Republic reviewed the overall situation of the country, stating that it is “encouraging,” and that its security situation is “excellent and under full control,” emphasizing that our country is active on the diplomatic stage, that its international and regional relations are excellent, that its position is appreciated, and that the republican institutions are functioning as they should. His Excellency the President of the Republic affirmed that efforts to develop the administration, establish political calm, combat injustice and exclusion, and strengthen social cohesion and national unity are constantly improving. He indicated that the government is working on the implementation of major strategic development programs that will largely benefit the Hodh Chargui region, the most important of which is the Hope Electric Line project. Here is the full text of His Excellency the President of the Republic:

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may blessings and peace be upon His Prophet Muhammad, the Master of the Messengers.

My dear fellow citizens.

Inhabitants of the Hodh Chargui region

I am delighted to visit your beautiful wilaya, and I thank you for the wonderful welcome that reflects the wilaya’s reputation for hospitality and genuine generosity. I also thank you for this great mobilization and presence, which represents all the components of the wilaya: youth, women, elected officials, executives, and economic and political actors. This presence also expresses an interest in public affairs and further embodies your trust and hope in our common project, the project of reform and development on the basis of which you entrusted me in 2019 and renewed the same commitment by granting me a second term in 2024. Thank you.

My visit today is an opportunity to talk to you about the general situation of the country, but it is even more aimed at discussing with you the issues of Hodh Chargui, assessing the situation of the wilaya, moughataa by moughataa, listening to your concerns, and gathering your opinions on national issues and, more specifically, on those concerning the wilaya.

Regarding the general situation of the country, I would like to inform you that the situation of our country is good, and its security situation is excellent and under full control, alhamdulillah. Our country is present on the diplomatic stage, its international and regional relations are excellent, its position is maintained and appreciated, and the republican institutions function regularly.

Similarly, our efforts to develop the administration and combat corruption are improving day by day, and they continue to consolidate political calm, fight against injustice and exclusion, and strengthen social cohesion and national unity.

I have always been convinced that nothing justifies confrontation between political elites. Their social programs and political visions may differ in the exercise of democracy, but a divergence of opinions in no way justifies betrayal or rupture. We agree that the general interest is a priority, according to law and religion, and that its wholesome nature places it above personal, sectoral, and partisan interests. This is what prompted me to ask political parties to engage in discussions with each other in order to reach an agreement on organizing a national dialogue that would address the country’s major issues and lead to national agreements on these matters, which concern the country and are considered to be the most important for any nation.

As for the country’s economic situation, it is good and constantly improving. For the past three years, the economic growth rate has exceeded 6% during the years 2022, 2023, and 2024. National markets are normally supplied and prices are stable, praise be to Allah. We have made considerable progress in improving basic services such as water, electricity, education, and health.

Among the evidence of these advances are the proliferation of major hydraulic projects in “Idini”, which contributes to the water supply of the city of Nouakchott, and in Boulenouar, which supplies water to the city of Nouadhibou, as well as in Aftout Essahili, characterized by a dense population of vulnerable families, and also in the Dhar region within this wilaya.

More than a thousand artesian wells have been drilled, 4 power plants with a capacity of 650 megawatts have been built, thousands of kilometers of high-voltage lines have been installed, dozens of electric generators have been acquired, more than 5,000 classrooms have been constructed, over 13,000 teachers have been recruited, and the capacity of higher education institutions, which was 20,000 students, has increased to 50,000. Similarly, the capacity of vocational training institutions, which trained 4,000 young people, is now 20,000 thanks to the existing institutes and schools. Numerous higher education and vocational training institutions have also been built.

Similarly, 137 health posts, 14 health centers, and two regional hospitals have been built and equipped. Soon, God willing, the expansion works of the National Hospital bd268 and of three regional hospitals will be completed. Works will also be completed in more than 40 health centers and 100 health posts. Soon, work will begin at the King Salman bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, in two regional hospitals, three moughataa hospitals, and in the expansion of four other hospitals, as non-exhaustive examples.

This does not mean that everything is fine and that there are no gaps. There are challenges that persist, and we work daily to address and overcome them. Among these challenges, for example, is the need to further improve basic services in education, health, and electricity, which we mentioned earlier. What has been done is a colossal effort, but it still falls short of expectations and needs to be increased.

Similarly, the importance of strengthening infrastructure in general, further developing our productive sectors, and exploiting all our natural resources to increase added value and create more employment opportunities, as well as further developing our administrations and institutions and strengthening our democratic system, is still considered part of the existing challenges.

Regarding your wilaya, the wilaya of Hodh Chargui, I would like to emphasize that due to its importance and its privileged strategic position, it has benefited from a considerable share of this significant national investment effort that I partially mentioned. The proof of this is that around 100 billion former ouguiyas have been invested there.

This investment in the wilaya has enabled the construction of more than 400 classrooms, the construction and equipping of dozens of health centers, the drilling of more than 159 artesian wells and the equipping of dozens of water points, the construction of dozens of large agricultural dams and water reservoirs, the construction of more than 120 pastoral stations and vaccination parks, the rehabilitation of the Néma dairy plant, the creation of the Behka farm and the Timbédra model park, and dozens of milk collection points in the wilaya. Work has also begun on more than 440 km of paved roads in the wilaya. 190 km of these roads have already been built, and work continues on 246 km, including the road linking Timbédra to Néma, of which, as you know, just over 30 km remain. Due to the delay of this section, we have decided to remove the remainder from the executing company and entrust its completion to a new one.

Regarding the Amourj-Adel Bagrou road, and given the considerable delay in its execution, more than 40 km have been taken away from the two executing companies and will be entrusted to another company to be completed at the required speed to make up for lost time. The remaining 30 km out of a total length of 76 or 77 km have been kept under the responsibility of the contracting companies, and the work is progressing, with asphalt layers having been laid over approximately 10 km.

Regarding the Hope Road, there is no doubt that we are all pleased with the rehabilitation of this route, considered the most important in the country as it ensures supply from the capital to all the provinces it passes through. This road, which was in disrepair, has become passable, with only 30 kilometers remaining.

In the field of telecommunications, work is progressing at a very good pace on a major project aimed at providing a communication network in border areas, which started in Ould Yenge heading towards Fassala and then directly towards Nbeiket Lahwach.

This project constitutes the second phase following the one that began from the western borders on the Atlantic Ocean towards Ould Yenge, which has been completed and delivered. The work on this phase is progressing and is expected to be delivered in a few months.

Among these achievements are also those in the social sector, from which thousands of families in this wilaya have benefited in the form of cash transfers, food aid, and income-generating projects.

Residents of Hodh Chargui,

I am well aware that, despite the efforts made, there are still remote localities in this region that do not have access to basic services and have not yet reached the level we hope for. I also know that the security situation at the borders is difficult and involves many risks. Despite this, I reassure you and confirm that your region is secure, praise be to Allah, and that it will remain safe and stable like all other regions of the country. Moreover, the bonds of brotherhood that unite the inhabitants on both sides of the border and your inherent generosity have made it your duty to welcome refugees and share with them what you have, just as you share a great capacity for brotherhood and good neighborliness. There is no doubt that this has created pressure on your living conditions and on overall development progress. It poses challenges, but at the same time requires a certainI assure you that the development of your wilaya is important and essential to us. It is a strategic objective for us that must be achieved, and it will be, insha’Allah, thanks to our joint efforts, which will make this wilaya a prosperous hub.You have no doubt witnessed, heard, or seen today the launch of the first phase of the emergency program for the generalization of access to essential services for local development, to which more than 40 billion old ouguiyas have been allocated for the wilaya of Hodh Chargui.

This program will enable:

– the construction of more than one thousand classrooms, of which 592 will be completed during the first phase.

– the construction of seven health centers, of which six will be completed during the first phase.

– the construction of forty-three health posts, of which twenty-two will be completed during the first phase.

– the drilling and equipping of more than one hundred and fifty new water points, of which over eighty will be completed during the first phase.

– the equipping and construction of water networks for sixty-nine existing unequipped water points, of which twenty will be completed during the first phase of this program.

– the doubling of the Dhar water project production to reach twenty thousand cubic meters.

– Provide electricity to thirty-eight localities, thirty-five of which will benefit from the first phase.– Acquire four large electric generators for certain major cities in the wilaya that are suffering from a lack of electricity.– Build nine large agricultural dams, six of which will be completed during the first phase.– Construct more than eight hundred water dams and fence more than one hundred farms.– Establish sixty-seven vaccination parks and thirteen pastoral stations.– Three isolated areas will be opened up.

In the field of youth support, two thousand five hundred young men and women will be trained, in addition to the funding of one hundred small projects.I call upon young people here to work in order to participate in the construction and progress of the wilaya and the country in general. It is regrettable that opportunities are available at the national level in development projects and that the work is not at the required level.

A major development program will also be launched by the General Delegation for National Solidarity and the Fight Against Exclusion ‘Taazour’ in the province, in addition to the strengthening and expansion of the interventions of the Food Security Commissariat.

In addition to this emergency program that we discussed earlier, I would like to emphasize that we are working on strategic development programs from which the wilaya will greatly benefit. Among these projects is the ‘Electric Hope Line,’ which will connect Nouakchott to Néma, definitively solving the electricity problem along the Route de l’Espoir, from which it takes its name. The project study is complete, and its funding, amounting to three hundred billion old ouguiyas, is available. The selection of the executing companies and the commencement of work will take place shortly.There is also another important government program aimed at harnessing the wilaya’s substantial animal wealth, so that it can become a major national center for dairy production.

In 2026, the paving work on the Timbédra – Bousteila – Amourj road will be launched. Previously, the study of the Oualata road, starting from the Néma – Nbeiket Lahwach road, had progressed. However, after the study advanced, it became apparent that it would not allow for permanent accessibility, and work is underway to find an alternative route ensuring that all residents along the line can benefit from it.What has been accomplished, what is currently being carried out, and what is planned as development projects for this wilaya will open up vast opportunities which, if well utilized, will greatly contribute to improving the living conditions of the residents and creating a promising economic and social transformation.

Exploiting this potential will neither be successful nor effective without the combined efforts of the residents of the wilaya in the service of development. The government grants the wilaya special priority and exceptional attention and is aware that, despite the development lag it experienced in previous periods, it is possible to make up for it through joint and participatory work.Participatory work is the means to achieve results, involving citizens through their elected representatives and community leaders, and we extend our hand to you to contribute to the development of your wilaya, and to move forward together to accelerate its development pace through greater mobilization and preparation, while supporting the social, political, and economic reforms that we are undertaking as part of our common national project.

Without your conviction in this project in 2019, you would not have placed your trust in us in 2019, a trust renewed in 2024, and we continue to uphold our commitments.It is our duty to place citizenship above all tribal, ethnic, or sectarian ties. We must reject illusory social considerations and tribal or regional fanaticism, which does not mean neglecting attention to the regions, but rather paying attention to them in a positive way that serves the general interest.It is the duty of everyone to unite against these harmful practices and discourses, as this is the way to strengthen national cohesion and consolidate harmony among the citizens of the same nation, for this country belongs to all its children and welcomes them all without exception.

I urge you once again to engage in education, for sustainable development or positive social transformation cannot be achieved without good education. I also encourage work and production and the exploitation of the opportunities that the dynamics of ongoing projects in the wilaya will offer, for work is an act of dignity, as you know, and it is the gateway to positive change in the lives of individuals and societies.I am convinced that by uniting, engaging in education and work, mobilizing, and supporting the political, economic, and social reforms undertaken by the government, you are capable of propelling your wilaya toward greater growth, development, and prosperity, and this will be achieved through the will and help of Allah’’.