Why was the 2019 presidential transition significant for Mauritania?

The 2019 presidential election was significant for Mauritania because it marked the country's first democratic transfer of power.1

Although the outgoing president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, did not seek a third term and instead endorsed his close ally, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, the transition represented a departure from the nation's history of military coups and forced removals. Following his victory, Ghazouani's administration eventually moved to assert its own leadership, leading to a subsequent inquiry into corruption during the former president's tenure.1