Isselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih, the new envoy between BP and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz?

摘要

BP’s arrival into the country’s offshorernto develop the giant Tortue deposit alongsidernKosmos Energy in 2016 has promptedrnMauritania to transform its London consulaterninto a full embassy. According to our sources,rnPresident Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz hasrnsought out his former foreign affairs ministerrnIsselkou Ould Ahmed Izid Bih to take on thernrole as ambassador to the UK. Izid Bih enjoysrnextremely close ties with the Mauritanian headrnof state. He was the president’s chief of staffrnfrom 2011 and chairman of his Union pourrnla Republique (UPR) party from 2014. With arnmathematics PhD from the University of Orleansrnunder his belt, Izid Bih presided the NouakchottrnUniversity before joining the president’s office.rnGiven the size of BP’s investment in the country,rnthe head of state has sought to place someonernhe has full confidence in to manage relationsrnwith London.