Mauritanians began voting Saturday to decide whether to re-elect President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani as head of the vast desert state, considered an oasis of stability in the volatile Sahel.

Around 1.9 million registered voters are set to choose between seven candidates vying to lead the West African nation, which has largely withstood a tide of jihadism in the region and is set to become a gas producer.