On the morning of Saturday 14 June 2025, the National School of Administration, Journalism and Magistracy held the eleventh session of the “Experience Talks” series, featuring administrator and expert Mohameden Ould Sidi, known as Denne.
The speaker reviewed the main stages of his training and professional experience and shared a number of conclusions and observations with the School’s civil-servant trainees.
He stressed that administrators need a spirit of initiative to resolve disputes and put the public interest first, and that the relationship between the prefect and the governor should be one of cooperation in decision-making. He also said that poor relations between mayors and prefects are one of the biggest obstacles to local development.
He warned against giving in to favouritism and the injustice it usually leads to, adding that those who choose public service must understand that they have chosen to serve the State and its citizens, not to make money.
At the end of the lecture, the discussion covered a range of topics, including the history and features of elections in Mauritania, the role of the bodies that oversee them, majority and proportional voting systems, political activity by administrators, firmness in implementing decisions, and the relationship between the judiciary and the administration.
In closing, the School’s Director General, Dr Mohamed Yahya Ould Saïd, thanked the guest for his valuable time and praised his rich experience, noting that administrative officials have discretionary power bounded by the law and the public interest, which they must respect.
The session was also attended by:
- Mohamed Ould Raffa, former administrator and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National School of Administration, Journalism and Magistracy;
- El Hassen Ould Mouloud, administrator and former regional governor;
- Mohamedi Ould Sabary, administrator and former regional governor;
- N’Gam Yahya, diplomat and former ambassador;
as well as several members of the School’s administrative and teaching staff.
This session is part of the “Experience Talks” series, which aims to help build the professional character of civil-servant trainees, instil public service values and draw lessons from real-world experience.
