A court in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, handed down a five-year prison sentence to former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on Monday.

Aziz, who governed for a decade from 2009 to 2019, had been on trial since January alongside ten other prominent figures, including two former prime ministers, facing charges of illicit enrichment, abuse of functions, influence-peddling, and money laundering.

Aziz was cleared of other charges while convicted of illicit enrichment and money laundering. The court also ordered the confiscation of assets acquired through illicit means.

Meanwhile, the trial, initiated in January, involved a Mauritanian prosecutor seeking a 20-year prison sentence for Aziz, alleging abuse of power and amassing substantial wealth.

Aziz maintained his innocence and argued that the trial was politically motivated and should be dismissed.