Laghdaf was born in Néma. An engineer and a member of the Tajakant tribe, he became Mauritania's Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union in 2006 before being appointed as Prime Minister by junta leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on August 14, 2008. His appointment followed a military coup earlier in the month, and some suggested that he might have been appointed in hopes that doing so would improve Mauritania's foreign relations, given Laghdaf's diplomatic service in Europe. Laghdaf was already viewed as being closely associated with Abdel Aziz prior to his appointment.