After more than three decades of service to the State and strategic consulting, Zakaria Thiam, former wali and seasoned jurist, embarks on a new stage in his professional career with the creation of Clean Bac Consulting, a firm specialized in legal, institutional expertise, and public governance.
Recognized for his mastery of major administrative and litigation cases, Zakaria Thiam has distinguished himself throughout his career by his involvement in supporting public reforms and managing complex disputes involving government and public enterprises. His experience covers both the legal, financial, and organizational dimensions of public policies, in a context marked by increasing demands for transparency, accountability, and performance.
A high-level institutional career
Before venturing into consulting entrepreneurship, Zakaria Thiam held several strategic positions within the Mauritanian administration. He notably served as a legal affairs advisor at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines between 2011 and 2015, a period marked by significant contractual negotiations in the extractive and energy sectors.
He then served as Director General of Legislation and Legal Advisor to the Government from 2015 to 2019, contributing to the development, harmonization, and securing of the national regulatory framework, as well as defending the State’s legal interests in several sensitive cases.
At the same time, he worked as a key consultant within the Public Governance Support Project (PGSP/IDA), supported by the World Bank. In this role, he participated in implementing recommendations from Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) and monitoring the performance contracts of public enterprises, a central project for improving public action efficiency.
A central role in the “Bumi” case
Zakaria Thiam also played a decisive role in the “Bumi” case, a major dispute between the Mauritanian State and international private interests in the extractive sector. Brought before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), this litigation resulted in a favorable decision for Mauritania—an unusual outcome in such procedures.
In this case involving legal, economic, and diplomatic issues, he played a central role in structuring the State’s defense, coordinating expertise, and consolidating legal arguments. His mastery of international arbitration mechanisms and detailed knowledge of public interests helped preserve the country’s sovereign rights and limit financial risks for the Treasury.
An integrated, legal, and financial approach
With Clean Bac Consulting, Zakaria Thiam now aims to capitalize on this experience to support public institutions, businesses, and technical and financial partners. The firm operates in the areas of legal consulting, governance, institutional auditing, dispute management, and support for structural reforms.
Aware that securing public and semi-public projects relies as much on legal rigor as on financial strength, Clean Bac Consulting also relies on top-notch financial expertise, embodied notably by Brahim Ould Rave.
A former member of the committee in charge of the Bumi case, Brahim Ould Rave oversaw financial, budgetary, and risk evaluation issues. Specializing in complex financial structures, analysis of contingent liabilities, and budgetary impacts of international disputes, he contributed to accurately quantifying financial stakes for the State and developing economically sustainable defense strategies.
His background, marked by solid experience in public finance, auditing, and financial engineering, is now a major asset for Clean Bac Consulting. It enables the firm to offer an integrated approach, combining legal expertise, financial analysis, and risk management.
A key player in public governance
Positioned as a key player in compliance, public performance, and project security issues, Clean Bac Consulting aims to meet the growing needs for professionalization and credibility of public management systems in Mauritania.
The firm aims to support:
– Central and decentralized administrations,
– Public and semi-public enterprises,
– Investors,
– Technical and financial partners,
in the design, implementation, and monitoring of projects compliant with international standards.
A strategic return in a demanding context
This initiative marks the return, in an entrepreneurial form, of an experienced senior executive in the strategic consulting ecosystem, at a time when Mauritania is strengthening its requirements for governance, transparency, accountability, and protection of its economic interests on the international stage.
By combining legal rigor, institutional expertise, and financial engineering, Zakaria Thiam and his team intend to make Clean Bac Consulting a strategic partner for public reforms and a lever for consolidating the rule of law in the country’s economy.
