UPDATE - Mauritania 's president names new premier

New Prime Minister Mohamed Ould Bilal asked former Cabinet to continue until new government is appointed

UPDATES WITH NEW PREMIER NAMED; CHANGES TITLE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH

By Ibrahim Ramadan

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AA) - The Mauritanian president on Thursday named Mohamed Ould Bilal as the country's new prime minister.

According to local media, Bilal asked the Cabinet of his predecessor Ismail Ould Bedde Ould Cheikh Sidiya to continue until a new government team is appointed.

“I was honored to be received by H.E the President of the Republic to whom I handed the resignation of the government,” Sidiya is quoted as saying by the Mauritanian News Agency.

Earlier in the day, the government of the North African nation of Mauritania submitted its resignation to President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara

Kaynak: