Biram Dah Abeid demands investigation into Nouakchott power station fires

Former presidential candidate and MP Biram Dah Abeid has called for an ‘immediate, independent, and comprehensive’ investigation into two fires that broke out within two days at transformer stations owned by the Mauritanian Electricity Company (Somelec) in Nouakchott.

The fires, occurring on Friday and Saturday, have left six of the capital's nine districts facing power outages. Abeid noted that the crisis is particularly severe due to high temperatures, impacting hospitals, pharmacies, food storage, and households.

Abeid questioned whether the incidents were mere technical failures or indicative of corruption and mismanagement in public procurement. He demanded an inquiry into the quality of equipment, the specifications used, and the oversight processes involved in the contracts to ensure public funds are used for reliable, sustainable infrastructure.