Mohamed Lemine Ould Guig (Arabic: محمد الأمين ولد جيج; born July 1, 1959) is a Mauritanian academic and political figure. He was the 8th Prime Minister of Mauritania from December 18, 1997, to November 16, 1998 (11 months).[1]
Guig was a native of Oualata and trained as an attorney. He was a law professor at the University of Nouakchott in the 1990s but was generally unknown in political circles.[2] Guig served as director of higher education, and his region was considered a bastion of the presidential majority (PRDS).[3]
On December 18, 1997, he was appointed prime minister by President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya shortly after his re-election in the 1997 presidential election.[4] Guig replaced the civil servant Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna.[2] At the time of his appointment, Guig was 39 years old and the youngest Prime Minister of the world.[5] Serving 11 months, Taya dismissed him as premier on November 16, 1998,[6] and Khouna assumed his position.[2] In 2003, Guig was appointed Commissioner for Food Security, to replace Sidi Mohamed Ould Biye.[7]
Following the 2008 coup d'état, Guig was appointed secretary-general by coup leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.[8] In 2014, Guig was appointed Chairman of the Commission of the African Union to supervise the 2014 Egyptian presidential election, which resulted in the election of former General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. On January 9, 2015, Guig was appointed State Inspector General and pledged to fight against mismanagement and misappropriation of public property.[9] In June 2015 however, Guig was appointed Deputy General Secretary of the Arab League to manage financial affairs.[10]
