Born into a well-known Sufi family in Mauritania, Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani was born on December 2, 1956, in Boumdeid, in the Assaba region in the east of the country.
Elected as the tenth President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on June 22, 2019, he officially took office on August 1, 2019. He is married and the father of six children.

Alongside his formal education, Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani received traditional religious instruction, allowing him to recite the Holy Qur’an by the age of ten. After completing secondary school, he joined the armed forces.

In the military field, he completed numerous training programs and courses, and received several certifications:

Higher Military Studies Course in Jordan
Staff College Course
Advanced Cavalry Training Course
Advanced Training at the Military School of Atar
Paratrooper Certification
Officer Training at the Royal Military Academy of Meknes
Upon graduating from the military academy with a Platoon Leader Certificate, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant in July 1981. He rose through the officer ranks, attaining the rank of Brigadier General in April 2008, and then Major General on January 1, 2012.

Additionally, Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani holds a Master’s degree in administrative and military sciences, as well as a university diploma in law.