Mauritania: inquiry finds failures after electrical fires
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kassataya
An independent commission identified several shortcomings in the award and oversight of a SOMELEC contract linked to the electrical substation fires in Nouakchott, including a non-compliant cable and the selection of a company deemed unqualified. President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani called for the recommendations to be implemented and for possible legal proceedings, according to the official report cited by Kassataya.
The independent commission tasked with investigating the fires at electrical substations in Nouakchott identified shortcomings in the award and execution of a contract by SOMELEC, Mauritania’s state electricity company. Its executive summary, made public on Thursday 8 October 2026, cites a company deemed unqualified, a cable that did not comply with the contract and commissioning despite reservations, Kassataya reports.
The contract was awarded to CTM Bâtiment in early 2025, according to official SOMELEC documents seen by Kassataya. The report also questions the validity of a certificate challenged by SNIM, Mauritania’s state mining company.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
