| MAURITANIA Islamic Republic of Mauritania Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah Joined United Nations: 27 October 1961 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 09/15/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Nouakchott
3,129,486 (July 2010 est.)
Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf
Prime Minister since 06 August 2008
Prime Minister since 06 August 2008
Assumed presidency when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed
Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was deposed in a bloodless coup on 06
August 2008
NOTE- A special election was held on 18 July 2009 where by in which
Abdel Aziz was certified. Election commission head Sid'Ahmed Ould
Deye resigned following formal opposition complaints and an appeal
lodged with Mauritania’s Constitutional Court.
Next scheduled election: 2014
Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was deposed in a bloodless coup on 06
August 2008
NOTE- A special election was held on 18 July 2009 where by in which
Abdel Aziz was certified. Election commission head Sid'Ahmed Ould
Deye resigned following formal opposition complaints and an appeal
lodged with Mauritania’s Constitutional Court.
Next scheduled election: 2014
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime Minister appointed by the President of the High Council
of the State of Mauritania following bloodless coup
Next scheduled election: 2011
of the State of Mauritania following bloodless coup
Next scheduled election: 2011
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim 100%
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district; Legal system is a combination of Islamic law and French civil
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: A coup d'état took place in Mauritania on 6 August 2008 when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was
ousted from power by a group of high ranking generals he had dismissed from office earlier that day. A special election was held on 18
July 2009 where by in which Abdel Aziz was certified. Election commission head Sid'Ahmed Ould Deye resigned following formal
opposition complaints and an appeal lodged with Mauritania’s Constitutional Court. (next to be held by 2014)
Legislative: Bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; members elected by municipal leaders to
serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November
and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Judicial: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: A coup d'état took place in Mauritania on 6 August 2008 when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was
ousted from power by a group of high ranking generals he had dismissed from office earlier that day. A special election was held on 18
July 2009 where by in which Abdel Aziz was certified. Election commission head Sid'Ahmed Ould Deye resigned following formal
opposition complaints and an appeal lodged with Mauritania’s Constitutional Court. (next to be held by 2014)
Legislative: Bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; members elected by municipal leaders to
serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November
and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Judicial: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
| LANGUAGES |
Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The history of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania dates back to the 3rd century. Mauritania is named after the ancient Berber
kingdom of Mauretania. From the 3rd to 7th century, the migration of Berber tribes from North Africa displaced the Bafours, the
original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania and the ancestors of the Soninké. Continued Arab-Berber migration drove indigenous
black Africans south to the Senegal River or enslaved them . By 1076, Islamic warriors (the Almoravid or Al Murabitun) completed
the conquest of southern Mauritania, defeating the ancient Ghana Empire, only to go on to form the ruling dynasty in Morocco and
Muslim Spain, to the north. Over the next 500 years, Arab immigrants gradually overcame Berber resistance and came to dominate
the tribal areas composed of todays Mauritania, Western Sahara, southern Morocco, north-west Mali and western Algeria. The
"Mauritanian Thirty-Year War" (1644-74) was the unsuccessful final Berber effort to repel the Maqil Arab invaders (originating in
Yemen), who were led by the Beni Hassan tribe. This was a time of great economic prosperity, with the invention of syrup. The
descendants of Beni Hassan's nomad warriors became the upper stratum of Moorish society, the warrior Hassane caste, who
extracted the horma tax in cattle and goods from subordinate, weaker tribes. Berbers retained influence by producing the majority
of the region's Zawiya or marabouts—those who preserve and teach Islamic tradition, while tribes who could neither defend
themselves against Hassane extortion or assert themselves culturally/religiously, were reduced to the demeaning role of Znaga, at the
bottom rung of society, just above the slaves. The slave population, bought or kidnapped in slave raids from southern black tribes,
eventually yielded a large Arabized and assimilated caste of its own, at the heart of Moorish society - these "black Moors" or
Haratin were formally freed slaves, but often remained - and some remain today - in more informal forms of bondage, living close to
and attending to a noble "white Moor" family of Hassane or Zawiya heritage. Moorish society remained fully tribal, with ancient
customs and religion being the only law of the land, and the tribe's military and political prowess its only guarantee and protection
against others. Intercommunal warfare, closely linked with common cattle-raiding and robbery, was extremely common, and
alliances could shift rapidly and unpredictably. Despite this, a few powerful tribal chiefs managed to gain legitimacy in certain areas
as Emirs ("Princes"), such as in the case of the Emirate of Trarza. Hassaniya, a Berber-influenced Arabic dialect which derives its
name from the Beni Hassan, became the dominant language among the Moors, who retained their nomadic traditions. In the south,
however, elements of the Soninké and other groups settled into a farming society along the banks of the Senegal river. French
colonization at the beginning of the 20th century brought legal prohibitions against slavery and determined attempts to break the rule
of the powerful Hassane in favour of previously dominated Zawia and Znaga tribes, who were sought as allies by the colonial
forces. French military domination forcibly ended interclan warfare, and thus also the Hassane's opportunities to dominate other
tribes. Still, the nomads' mobile lifestyle, refusal to abandon their traiditional culture and customs, and their complex but resilient
tribal societal structure made French attempts to build a centralized state and a loyal, French-backed elite complicated. During the
colonial period, the population remained nomadic, but increasing numbers of sedentary black Africans, whose ancestors had been
expelled centuries earlier by the Moors, began to trickle back into southern Mauritania. With some educated in French language
and customs, and without tribal ties to the rebellious Moorish north, many of these recent arrivals were taken in as clerks, soldiers,
and administrators in the new state by the French administrators. As the country gained independence on November 28, 1960, the
capital city Nouakchott was founded at the site of a small colonial village, the Ksar, while 90% of the population was still nomadic.
With independence, larger numbers of ethnic Sub-Saharan Africans (Haalpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof) entered Mauritania, moving
into the area north of the Senegal River. As before independence, the sedentary lifestyle of these groups made them more receptible
to and useful in state formation, and they quickly came to dominate state administration, even if the Moorish groups built up by the
French remained in charge of the political process. Moors reacted to this change by increasing pressures for Arabization, to
Arabicize many aspects of Mauritanian life, such as law and language, and ethnic tension built up - helped by a common memory of
warfare and slave raids. President Moktar Ould Daddah, originally helped to the post by the French, rapidly reformed Mauritania
into an authoritarian one-party state in 1964, with his new constitution. Daddah's own Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (PPM) became
the ruling organization. The President justified this decision on the grounds that he considered Mauritania unready for western-style
multi-party democracy. Under this one-party constitution, Daddah was reelected in uncontested elections in 1966, 1971 and 1976.
In 1975, partly for nationalist reasons and partly for fear of Moroccan expansionism, Mauritania invaded and annexed the southern
third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1975, renaming it Tiris al-Gharbiyya. However, after nearly three years
of raids by the Sahrawi guerrillas of the Polisario Front, Mauritania's economic and political stability began to crumble. Despite
French and Moroccan military aid, Polisario raids against the Zouerate railway and mines threatened to bring about economic
collapse, and there were deep misgivings in the military about the Saharan adventure. Ethnic unrest contributed to the disarray.
Black Africans from the south were conscripted as front-line soldiers, after the northern Sahrawi minorities and their Moorish kin
had proven unreliable in the fight against Polisario, but many of the southerners rebelled against having to fight what they considered
an inter-Arab war. On July 10, 1978, Col. Mustafa Ould Salek ousted led a bloodless coup d’état that ousted the President, who
would later go into exile in France. In 1979, Polisario broke off the cease-fire and unleashed a string of new attacks on military and
government targets. Mauritania, under its new government, immediately returned to the table to meet Polisario's goals, declaring full
peace, a troop retreat, relinquishing their portion of Western Sahara and recognizing the Front as the Sahrawi people's sole
representative. Morocco, occupying the northern half of Western Sahara and also involved in combat against Polisario, reacted with
outrage, and launched a failed 1981 coup against the CMSN. Mauritania broke off relations with Rabat in protest, although ties
were later restored. On December 12, 1984, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya deposed Haidallah and declared himself Chairman
of the CMSN. Like other rulers before him, he promised a swift transfer to democracy, but then made little of these promises. The
discord between conflicting visions of Mauritanian society as either black or Arab, again rose to the surface during the
intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events"), when a Mauritania-Senegal border dispute escalated into
violence between the two communities. Tens of thousands of black Mauritanians fled or were expelled from the country, and many
remain in Senegal as refugees. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991 which put an end to
formal military rule. However, Ould Taya's election wins were dismissed as fraudulent by both opposition groups and external
observers. In 1998, Mauritania became the third Arab country to recognize Israel, despite strong internal opposition. In 2001,
elections incorporated more safeguards against voter fraud but opposition candidate (and former leader) Mohamed Khouna Ould
Haidallah was nevertheless arrested prior to election day on charges of planning a coup, released the same day, and rearrested after
the election. On June 8, 2003 a failed coup attempt was made against President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya by forces
unhappy with his imprisonment of Islamic leaders in the wake of the US-led invasion of Iraq and his establishment of full diplomatic
relations with Israel. The coup was suppressed after one day of fighting in the capital when pro-Taya military forces arrived from the
countryside. On August 3, 2005, it was reported that the Mauritanian military, including members of the presidential guard, had
seized control of key points in the capital of Nouakchott, indicating a possible coup against the government of President Maaouya
Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya who was out of the country, attending the funeral of Saudi King Fahd. Taya was never able to return to the
country, and remains in exile. The new junta called itself the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, and democracy and rule of
law. Col.. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall emerged as leader at an early stage. Dissidents were released, and the political climate relaxed.
A new constitution was approved in June 2006. Elections were held in March 2007, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was elected
president and Vall stood down. Assumed presidency when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was
deposed in a bloodless coup on 06 August 2008. According to an official statement released on August 7, Abdallahi's powers were
terminated and Mauritania would be governed on a transitional basis by an 11-member High Council of State, with Abdel Aziz as
the President of the Council, until a new presidential election was held "in the shortest possible period".
Source: Wikipedia: History of Mauritania
kingdom of Mauretania. From the 3rd to 7th century, the migration of Berber tribes from North Africa displaced the Bafours, the
original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania and the ancestors of the Soninké. Continued Arab-Berber migration drove indigenous
black Africans south to the Senegal River or enslaved them . By 1076, Islamic warriors (the Almoravid or Al Murabitun) completed
the conquest of southern Mauritania, defeating the ancient Ghana Empire, only to go on to form the ruling dynasty in Morocco and
Muslim Spain, to the north. Over the next 500 years, Arab immigrants gradually overcame Berber resistance and came to dominate
the tribal areas composed of todays Mauritania, Western Sahara, southern Morocco, north-west Mali and western Algeria. The
"Mauritanian Thirty-Year War" (1644-74) was the unsuccessful final Berber effort to repel the Maqil Arab invaders (originating in
Yemen), who were led by the Beni Hassan tribe. This was a time of great economic prosperity, with the invention of syrup. The
descendants of Beni Hassan's nomad warriors became the upper stratum of Moorish society, the warrior Hassane caste, who
extracted the horma tax in cattle and goods from subordinate, weaker tribes. Berbers retained influence by producing the majority
of the region's Zawiya or marabouts—those who preserve and teach Islamic tradition, while tribes who could neither defend
themselves against Hassane extortion or assert themselves culturally/religiously, were reduced to the demeaning role of Znaga, at the
bottom rung of society, just above the slaves. The slave population, bought or kidnapped in slave raids from southern black tribes,
eventually yielded a large Arabized and assimilated caste of its own, at the heart of Moorish society - these "black Moors" or
Haratin were formally freed slaves, but often remained - and some remain today - in more informal forms of bondage, living close to
and attending to a noble "white Moor" family of Hassane or Zawiya heritage. Moorish society remained fully tribal, with ancient
customs and religion being the only law of the land, and the tribe's military and political prowess its only guarantee and protection
against others. Intercommunal warfare, closely linked with common cattle-raiding and robbery, was extremely common, and
alliances could shift rapidly and unpredictably. Despite this, a few powerful tribal chiefs managed to gain legitimacy in certain areas
as Emirs ("Princes"), such as in the case of the Emirate of Trarza. Hassaniya, a Berber-influenced Arabic dialect which derives its
name from the Beni Hassan, became the dominant language among the Moors, who retained their nomadic traditions. In the south,
however, elements of the Soninké and other groups settled into a farming society along the banks of the Senegal river. French
colonization at the beginning of the 20th century brought legal prohibitions against slavery and determined attempts to break the rule
of the powerful Hassane in favour of previously dominated Zawia and Znaga tribes, who were sought as allies by the colonial
forces. French military domination forcibly ended interclan warfare, and thus also the Hassane's opportunities to dominate other
tribes. Still, the nomads' mobile lifestyle, refusal to abandon their traiditional culture and customs, and their complex but resilient
tribal societal structure made French attempts to build a centralized state and a loyal, French-backed elite complicated. During the
colonial period, the population remained nomadic, but increasing numbers of sedentary black Africans, whose ancestors had been
expelled centuries earlier by the Moors, began to trickle back into southern Mauritania. With some educated in French language
and customs, and without tribal ties to the rebellious Moorish north, many of these recent arrivals were taken in as clerks, soldiers,
and administrators in the new state by the French administrators. As the country gained independence on November 28, 1960, the
capital city Nouakchott was founded at the site of a small colonial village, the Ksar, while 90% of the population was still nomadic.
With independence, larger numbers of ethnic Sub-Saharan Africans (Haalpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof) entered Mauritania, moving
into the area north of the Senegal River. As before independence, the sedentary lifestyle of these groups made them more receptible
to and useful in state formation, and they quickly came to dominate state administration, even if the Moorish groups built up by the
French remained in charge of the political process. Moors reacted to this change by increasing pressures for Arabization, to
Arabicize many aspects of Mauritanian life, such as law and language, and ethnic tension built up - helped by a common memory of
warfare and slave raids. President Moktar Ould Daddah, originally helped to the post by the French, rapidly reformed Mauritania
into an authoritarian one-party state in 1964, with his new constitution. Daddah's own Parti du Peuple Mauritanien (PPM) became
the ruling organization. The President justified this decision on the grounds that he considered Mauritania unready for western-style
multi-party democracy. Under this one-party constitution, Daddah was reelected in uncontested elections in 1966, 1971 and 1976.
In 1975, partly for nationalist reasons and partly for fear of Moroccan expansionism, Mauritania invaded and annexed the southern
third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1975, renaming it Tiris al-Gharbiyya. However, after nearly three years
of raids by the Sahrawi guerrillas of the Polisario Front, Mauritania's economic and political stability began to crumble. Despite
French and Moroccan military aid, Polisario raids against the Zouerate railway and mines threatened to bring about economic
collapse, and there were deep misgivings in the military about the Saharan adventure. Ethnic unrest contributed to the disarray.
Black Africans from the south were conscripted as front-line soldiers, after the northern Sahrawi minorities and their Moorish kin
had proven unreliable in the fight against Polisario, but many of the southerners rebelled against having to fight what they considered
an inter-Arab war. On July 10, 1978, Col. Mustafa Ould Salek ousted led a bloodless coup d’état that ousted the President, who
would later go into exile in France. In 1979, Polisario broke off the cease-fire and unleashed a string of new attacks on military and
government targets. Mauritania, under its new government, immediately returned to the table to meet Polisario's goals, declaring full
peace, a troop retreat, relinquishing their portion of Western Sahara and recognizing the Front as the Sahrawi people's sole
representative. Morocco, occupying the northern half of Western Sahara and also involved in combat against Polisario, reacted with
outrage, and launched a failed 1981 coup against the CMSN. Mauritania broke off relations with Rabat in protest, although ties
were later restored. On December 12, 1984, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya deposed Haidallah and declared himself Chairman
of the CMSN. Like other rulers before him, he promised a swift transfer to democracy, but then made little of these promises. The
discord between conflicting visions of Mauritanian society as either black or Arab, again rose to the surface during the
intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events"), when a Mauritania-Senegal border dispute escalated into
violence between the two communities. Tens of thousands of black Mauritanians fled or were expelled from the country, and many
remain in Senegal as refugees. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991 which put an end to
formal military rule. However, Ould Taya's election wins were dismissed as fraudulent by both opposition groups and external
observers. In 1998, Mauritania became the third Arab country to recognize Israel, despite strong internal opposition. In 2001,
elections incorporated more safeguards against voter fraud but opposition candidate (and former leader) Mohamed Khouna Ould
Haidallah was nevertheless arrested prior to election day on charges of planning a coup, released the same day, and rearrested after
the election. On June 8, 2003 a failed coup attempt was made against President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya by forces
unhappy with his imprisonment of Islamic leaders in the wake of the US-led invasion of Iraq and his establishment of full diplomatic
relations with Israel. The coup was suppressed after one day of fighting in the capital when pro-Taya military forces arrived from the
countryside. On August 3, 2005, it was reported that the Mauritanian military, including members of the presidential guard, had
seized control of key points in the capital of Nouakchott, indicating a possible coup against the government of President Maaouya
Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya who was out of the country, attending the funeral of Saudi King Fahd. Taya was never able to return to the
country, and remains in exile. The new junta called itself the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, and democracy and rule of
law. Col.. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall emerged as leader at an early stage. Dissidents were released, and the political climate relaxed.
A new constitution was approved in June 2006. Elections were held in March 2007, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was elected
president and Vall stood down. Assumed presidency when Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was
deposed in a bloodless coup on 06 August 2008. According to an official statement released on August 7, Abdallahi's powers were
terminated and Mauritania would be governed on a transitional basis by an 11-member High Council of State, with Abdel Aziz as
the President of the Council, until a new presidential election was held "in the shortest possible period".
Source: Wikipedia: History of Mauritania
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence
farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore,
which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world but
overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in
1986. Before 2000, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania
qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and nearly all of its foreign debt has since been
forgiven. In December 2007 donors pledged $2.1 billion at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code
approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Mauritania and the IMF agreed to a
three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement in 2006. Mauritania made satisfactory progress, but IMF
and World Bank suspended their programs in Mauritania following the August 2008 coup; following the July 2009 Presidential
elections, the IMF and World Bank agreed to meet with the government to discuss a resumption. Oil prospects, while initially
promising, have largely failed to materialize. The Government continues to emphasize reduction of poverty, improvement of health
and education, and privatization of the economy.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Mauritania)
farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore,
which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world but
overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in
1986. Before 2000, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania
qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and nearly all of its foreign debt has since been
forgiven. In December 2007 donors pledged $2.1 billion at a triennial Consultative Group review. A new investment code
approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Mauritania and the IMF agreed to a
three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement in 2006. Mauritania made satisfactory progress, but IMF
and World Bank suspended their programs in Mauritania following the August 2008 coup; following the July 2009 Presidential
elections, the IMF and World Bank agreed to meet with the government to discuss a resumption. Oil prospects, while initially
promising, have largely failed to materialize. The Government continues to emphasize reduction of poverty, improvement of health
and education, and privatization of the economy.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Mauritania)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
On August 6, 2008, Mauritania's presidential spokesman Abdoulaye Mamadouba said President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi,
Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf and the interior minister, were arrested by renegade Senior Mauritanian army officers,
unknown troops and a group of generals, and were held under house arrest at the presidential palace in Nouakchott. In the
apparently successful and bloodless coup d'etat, Abdallahi daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi said: "The security agents of the
BASEP (Presidential Security Battalion) came to our home and took away my father."The coup plotters are top fired Mauritania’s
security forces, which include General Muhammad Ould ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz, General Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani, General Philippe
Swikri, and Brigadier General (Aqid) Ahmad Ould Bakri. Mauritanian lawmaker, Mohammed Al Mukhtar, announced that "many
of the country's people were supporting the takeover attempt and the government is "an authoritarian regime" and that the president
had "marginalized the majority in parliament."
Following the August 2008 coup, the High State Council planned to hold a new presidential election in June 2009; the election was
subsequently rescheduled to 18 July 2009 following the Dakar Accords, which brought Mauritania back to constitutional rule; under
Mauritania's constitution, the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 18 July 2009 (next to be
held by 2014)
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Mauritania
Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf and the interior minister, were arrested by renegade Senior Mauritanian army officers,
unknown troops and a group of generals, and were held under house arrest at the presidential palace in Nouakchott. In the
apparently successful and bloodless coup d'etat, Abdallahi daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi said: "The security agents of the
BASEP (Presidential Security Battalion) came to our home and took away my father."The coup plotters are top fired Mauritania’s
security forces, which include General Muhammad Ould ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz, General Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani, General Philippe
Swikri, and Brigadier General (Aqid) Ahmad Ould Bakri. Mauritanian lawmaker, Mohammed Al Mukhtar, announced that "many
of the country's people were supporting the takeover attempt and the government is "an authoritarian regime" and that the president
had "marginalized the majority in parliament."
Following the August 2008 coup, the High State Council planned to hold a new presidential election in June 2009; the election was
subsequently rescheduled to 18 July 2009 following the Dakar Accords, which brought Mauritania back to constitutional rule; under
Mauritania's constitution, the president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 18 July 2009 (next to be
held by 2014)
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Mauritania
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Mauritania
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Mauritania, with an estimated population of 3.4 million, is a highly centralized Islamic republic governed by President Mohamed Ould
Abdel Aziz, whose election on July 18 ended the 11‑month political crisis caused by the August 2008 coup d'etat against former
President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. President Aziz had served as head of state and head of the governing junta, the High State Council
(HSC), until he resigned from the military on April 22 to formally run for office. The presidential election, declared free and fair by
international observers, followed the June 4 Dakar Accord, a consensual agreement brokered by Senegalese President Wade and the
international community to end the country's political stalemate. In compliance with the Dakar Accord, deposed President Abdallahi
returned on June 27 to form a Transitional Government of National Unity and voluntarily resigned from office. Following the election,
civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces.
During the year there was deterioration in the human rights situation.
During the year the HSC and President Aziz’s administration continued the national reconciliation program for the repatriation of Afro-
Mauritanian refugees from Senegal and Mali, in coordination with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). On
December 31, repatriation operations were successfully ended with the arrival of the last group from Senegal. On March 25, the HSC
signed a framework agreement to compensate 244 widows of Afro-Mauritanian military personnel killed during the 1989-91 expulsion of
Afro-Mauritanians and held a memorial for the victims on the same day. The agreement and memorial represented the authorities' first
public acknowledgement of the government's role in the ethnic killings and expulsions of 1989-91. During the year President Aziz'
government also conducted a census of former teachers among returnees in order to reinstate them in their former positions with the
Ministry of Education.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Mauritania, with an estimated population of 3.4 million, is a highly centralized Islamic republic governed by President Mohamed Ould
Abdel Aziz, whose election on July 18 ended the 11‑month political crisis caused by the August 2008 coup d'etat against former
President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. President Aziz had served as head of state and head of the governing junta, the High State Council
(HSC), until he resigned from the military on April 22 to formally run for office. The presidential election, declared free and fair by
international observers, followed the June 4 Dakar Accord, a consensual agreement brokered by Senegalese President Wade and the
international community to end the country's political stalemate. In compliance with the Dakar Accord, deposed President Abdallahi
returned on June 27 to form a Transitional Government of National Unity and voluntarily resigned from office. Following the election,
civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces.
During the year there was deterioration in the human rights situation.
- Citizens did not have the right to choose their government until the July 18 election.
- Other problems included mistreatment and torture of detainees and prisoners;
- security force impunity;
- lengthy pretrial detention;
- harsh prison conditions;
- arbitrary arrests and political detention;
- limits on freedom of the press and assembly, including police beating of demonstrators and arrests of journalists;
- restrictions on freedom of religion; and corruption.
- Other problems included slavery and slavery-like practices,
- discrimination against women,
- female genital mutilation (FGM),
- child marriage,
- political marginalization of southern-based ethnic groups,
- child labor.
During the year the HSC and President Aziz’s administration continued the national reconciliation program for the repatriation of Afro-
Mauritanian refugees from Senegal and Mali, in coordination with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). On
December 31, repatriation operations were successfully ended with the arrival of the last group from Senegal. On March 25, the HSC
signed a framework agreement to compensate 244 widows of Afro-Mauritanian military personnel killed during the 1989-91 expulsion of
Afro-Mauritanians and held a memorial for the victims on the same day. The agreement and memorial represented the authorities' first
public acknowledgement of the government's role in the ethnic killings and expulsions of 1989-91. During the year President Aziz'
government also conducted a census of former teachers among returnees in order to reinstate them in their former positions with the
Ministry of Education.
Click here to read more »
12 June 2009
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fifty first session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations: MAURITANIA
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the State party's second report. The Committee further welcomes its written replies
(CRC/C/MRT/Q/2/Add.1) to the list of issues and appreciates the constructive dialogue with the delegation.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
3. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, inter alia:
a.) the Act No. 2007-042 of 3 September 2007 on the criminalisation of slavery;
b.) the Act No. 2005-015 of 5 December 2005 on the judicial protection of children;
c.) the Act No. 2003-025 of 17 July 2003 on the suppression of trafficking.
B. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6, of the Convention)
The Committee’s previous recommendations
5. The Committee notes with satisfaction that certain concerns and recommendations (see CRC/C/15/Add.159) made upon the
consideration of the initial report of the State party in 2001 have been addressed. However, the Committee is concerned that
recommendations regarding, inter alia, legal reform, national plan of action, resources allocation, birth registration, harmful traditional
practices, child labour and juvenile justice have not been given sufficient follow-up. The Committee notes that those concerns and
recommendations are reiterated in the present document.
6. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to address those recommendations contained in the concluding
observations on the initial report that have not yet been implemented and to provide adequate follow-up to the recommendations
contained in the present concluding observations on the second and third periodic report.
Legislation
7. The Committee welcomes that the Constitution establishes the primacy of international treaties over domestic legislation and that such
instruments can be invoked before national courts. The Committee however remains concerned over practical challenges with the
pluralist legal system and in particular regarding the incompatibility between Sharia law, customary law and positive law, including the
Personal Status Code of 2001. The Committee is also concerned over insufficient implementation of legislation as a consequence of the
lack of implementing decrees.
8. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen and expedite its efforts to bring domestic law into full compliance with
the Convention by completing a comprehensive review of legislation and its implementation. The State party should consider the adoption
of a comprehensive Children’s Code in order to incorporate the provisions of the Convention and take into account the African Charter
on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Furthermore, the State party should promote awareness of national legislation.
Click here to read more »
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fifty first session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations: MAURITANIA
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the State party's second report. The Committee further welcomes its written replies
(CRC/C/MRT/Q/2/Add.1) to the list of issues and appreciates the constructive dialogue with the delegation.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
3. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, inter alia:
a.) the Act No. 2007-042 of 3 September 2007 on the criminalisation of slavery;
b.) the Act No. 2005-015 of 5 December 2005 on the judicial protection of children;
c.) the Act No. 2003-025 of 17 July 2003 on the suppression of trafficking.
B. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6, of the Convention)
The Committee’s previous recommendations
5. The Committee notes with satisfaction that certain concerns and recommendations (see CRC/C/15/Add.159) made upon the
consideration of the initial report of the State party in 2001 have been addressed. However, the Committee is concerned that
recommendations regarding, inter alia, legal reform, national plan of action, resources allocation, birth registration, harmful traditional
practices, child labour and juvenile justice have not been given sufficient follow-up. The Committee notes that those concerns and
recommendations are reiterated in the present document.
6. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to address those recommendations contained in the concluding
observations on the initial report that have not yet been implemented and to provide adequate follow-up to the recommendations
contained in the present concluding observations on the second and third periodic report.
Legislation
7. The Committee welcomes that the Constitution establishes the primacy of international treaties over domestic legislation and that such
instruments can be invoked before national courts. The Committee however remains concerned over practical challenges with the
pluralist legal system and in particular regarding the incompatibility between Sharia law, customary law and positive law, including the
Personal Status Code of 2001. The Committee is also concerned over insufficient implementation of legislation as a consequence of the
lack of implementing decrees.
8. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen and expedite its efforts to bring domestic law into full compliance with
the Convention by completing a comprehensive review of legislation and its implementation. The State party should consider the adoption
of a comprehensive Children’s Code in order to incorporate the provisions of the Convention and take into account the African Charter
on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Furthermore, the State party should promote awareness of national legislation.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Overview
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who overthrew President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi in an August 2008 military coup, was declared
the winner of a July 2009 presidential election. The results, while accepted by some foreign observers, were rejected by opposition
parties.
In April 2009, Aziz announced that he would resign from the military in order to run for president. The junta sought to hold a presidential
election by June 2009 but faced resistance from opposition parties, civil society, and the international community. Opposition parties
eventually agreed to participate in a vote after six days of negotiations in Senegal. Under international pressure, the HSC handed power in
June to a transitional government made up of both opposition and coup supporters that would supervise an election set for July 18. As
part of the deal, Abdellahi, who had been released from house arrest in late 2008, voluntarily resigned as president, and his former prime
minister, who still faced corruption charges, was released on bail.
Aziz won the election in the first round with 52.6 percent of the vote. Four opposition parties challenged the results, claiming that they
were prefabricated. The opposition also said electoral lists had been tampered with and voters had used fake ballot papers and identity
cards. The parties lodged a formal appeal with the constitutional court, and the head of the electoral commission, Sid’Ahmed Ould Deye,
resigned, saying he had doubts about the election’s conduct. However, the constitutional court rejected the appeal. Observers from the
International Organization of La Francophonie, the Arab League, and the African Union were satisfied with the fairness of the elections,
though these groups are typically among the least critical of electoral conduct, and more credible observer groups were not present to
assess the election.
Mauritania was one of only three Arab League members to have diplomatic relations with Israel, but in March 2009 the government
closed the Israeli embassy in response to Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the initiation of oil production in 2006, Mauritania remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with some three-quarters of the
population dependent on subsistence agriculture and livestock production. Mauritania imports about 70 percent of its food, and rising
global food prices sparked social unrest in late 2007 and early 2008 that helped to weaken Abdellahi’s presidency. In December 2009,
the U.S. government reinstated Mauritania’s preferential trading status under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also restarted their development programs, which had been suspended following
the 2008 coup.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Overview
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who overthrew President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi in an August 2008 military coup, was declared
the winner of a July 2009 presidential election. The results, while accepted by some foreign observers, were rejected by opposition
parties.
In April 2009, Aziz announced that he would resign from the military in order to run for president. The junta sought to hold a presidential
election by June 2009 but faced resistance from opposition parties, civil society, and the international community. Opposition parties
eventually agreed to participate in a vote after six days of negotiations in Senegal. Under international pressure, the HSC handed power in
June to a transitional government made up of both opposition and coup supporters that would supervise an election set for July 18. As
part of the deal, Abdellahi, who had been released from house arrest in late 2008, voluntarily resigned as president, and his former prime
minister, who still faced corruption charges, was released on bail.
Aziz won the election in the first round with 52.6 percent of the vote. Four opposition parties challenged the results, claiming that they
were prefabricated. The opposition also said electoral lists had been tampered with and voters had used fake ballot papers and identity
cards. The parties lodged a formal appeal with the constitutional court, and the head of the electoral commission, Sid’Ahmed Ould Deye,
resigned, saying he had doubts about the election’s conduct. However, the constitutional court rejected the appeal. Observers from the
International Organization of La Francophonie, the Arab League, and the African Union were satisfied with the fairness of the elections,
though these groups are typically among the least critical of electoral conduct, and more credible observer groups were not present to
assess the election.
Mauritania was one of only three Arab League members to have diplomatic relations with Israel, but in March 2009 the government
closed the Israeli embassy in response to Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the initiation of oil production in 2006, Mauritania remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with some three-quarters of the
population dependent on subsistence agriculture and livestock production. Mauritania imports about 70 percent of its food, and rising
global food prices sparked social unrest in late 2007 and early 2008 that helped to weaken Abdellahi’s presidency. In December 2009,
the U.S. government reinstated Mauritania’s preferential trading status under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also restarted their development programs, which had been suspended following
the 2008 coup.
Click here to read more »
Suggested recommendations to States considered in the ninth round of the Universal Periodic Review, November 2010
1 September 2010
Recommendations to the government of Mauritania
Torture and other ill-treatment
*To give clear instructions to the security forces to always act in compliance with international human rights law, in particular, the
right to life and the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment;
*To ensure that anyone placed in detention is brought promptly before a judicial authority and has the option of disputing the legality of
the decision to imprison;
*To draw a plan of action against torture and other ill-treatment with a view to their eradication and bring to justice all suspected
perpetrators of such acts, including by making acts of torture or ill-treatment a criminal offence and making provision for penalties that
reflect the gravity of these acts;
*To inform members of the police and law enforcement officers, in unambiguous language, that violation of human rights, including
torture and ill-treatment, will not be tolerated under any circumstances and that anyone committing such offences will be punished as
provided for by law;
*To carry out prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all complaints and information concerning torture and other ill-
treatment;
*To ensure that all judges, prosecutors and lawyers are informed that confessions and statements obtained other than in the presence
of a member of the public prosecutor’s office and the suspect’s counsel may not be used in court;
*To extend an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and to cooperate fully with him, including by allowing him free access
to all official and unofficial places of detention;
*To ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Arbitrary arrests and detention
*To ensure that all detainees may contact their family, lawyer and doctor without delay after their arrest and regularly throughout the
period of detention or imprisonment;
*To place the management of prison and penal institutions under the effective and appropriate control of the Ministry of Justice;
*To apply international standards on the treatment of prisoners and conditions of detention, in particular those set out in the UN
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any
Form of Detention or Imprisonment;
*To create a mechanism to organize periodic visits and inspections of places of detention by a independent experts, including judges,
prosecutors, doctors and lawyers, as well as members of civil society and human rights defenders.
Click here to read more »
1 September 2010
Recommendations to the government of Mauritania
Torture and other ill-treatment
*To give clear instructions to the security forces to always act in compliance with international human rights law, in particular, the
right to life and the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment;
*To ensure that anyone placed in detention is brought promptly before a judicial authority and has the option of disputing the legality of
the decision to imprison;
*To draw a plan of action against torture and other ill-treatment with a view to their eradication and bring to justice all suspected
perpetrators of such acts, including by making acts of torture or ill-treatment a criminal offence and making provision for penalties that
reflect the gravity of these acts;
*To inform members of the police and law enforcement officers, in unambiguous language, that violation of human rights, including
torture and ill-treatment, will not be tolerated under any circumstances and that anyone committing such offences will be punished as
provided for by law;
*To carry out prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all complaints and information concerning torture and other ill-
treatment;
*To ensure that all judges, prosecutors and lawyers are informed that confessions and statements obtained other than in the presence
of a member of the public prosecutor’s office and the suspect’s counsel may not be used in court;
*To extend an invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and to cooperate fully with him, including by allowing him free access
to all official and unofficial places of detention;
*To ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Arbitrary arrests and detention
*To ensure that all detainees may contact their family, lawyer and doctor without delay after their arrest and regularly throughout the
period of detention or imprisonment;
*To place the management of prison and penal institutions under the effective and appropriate control of the Ministry of Justice;
*To apply international standards on the treatment of prisoners and conditions of detention, in particular those set out in the UN
Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any
Form of Detention or Imprisonment;
*To create a mechanism to organize periodic visits and inspections of places of detention by a independent experts, including judges,
prosecutors, doctors and lawyers, as well as members of civil society and human rights defenders.
Click here to read more »
African Al Qaeda Should Stop Targeting Civilians
Algeria Summit States Should Urge End to Murders, Kidnappings
March 16, 2010
(Dakar) - Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has in recent months stepped up targeting tourists and aid workers for murder and
kidnapping in Mali, Niger, and Mauritania, Human Rights Watch said today. AQIM should immediately and unconditionally free hostages
in its custody and end attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
The organization also called on foreign ministers from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, meeting today in
Algeria, to categorically denounce AQIM's attacks against civilians, as well as a threat by AQIM made in a March 11 statement to
Spanish Daily El País, which underscored the group's willingness to attack civilians. The threat suggested Spain would be "paid in kind"
in "a war that does not distinguish between civilians and militants."
"Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's crimes against tourists and aid workers should galvanize governments into action to protect
civilians," said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "AQIM should free its hostages and end such
attacks. And foreign ministers from the region should insist that those responsible are brought to justice."
The AQIM statement to El País also referred to "demands" to the Spanish government to secure the release of two Spanish aid workers
it admitted kidnapping in Mauritania on November 29. The communiqué did not specify the demands. A third Spanish aid worker
detained at the same time, Alicia Gamez, was released by AQIM on March 10.
Formerly known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, the group affiliated itself with al Qaeda in January 2007, and has since
extended its operations from Algeria to other North African and Sahel states.
AQIM has been implicated in the deliberate killing of scores of civilians, including the December 28, 2009 killing of four Saudi tourists in
Niger; the June 23, 2009 killing of an American missionary in Mauritania; the May 31, 2009 killing of a British tourist; the December
2007 killing of four French tourists in Mauritania; and the December 2007 twin bombings of the United Nations offices and a court
building in Algiers that left 41 dead.
Click here to read more »
Algeria Summit States Should Urge End to Murders, Kidnappings
March 16, 2010
(Dakar) - Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has in recent months stepped up targeting tourists and aid workers for murder and
kidnapping in Mali, Niger, and Mauritania, Human Rights Watch said today. AQIM should immediately and unconditionally free hostages
in its custody and end attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
The organization also called on foreign ministers from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, meeting today in
Algeria, to categorically denounce AQIM's attacks against civilians, as well as a threat by AQIM made in a March 11 statement to
Spanish Daily El País, which underscored the group's willingness to attack civilians. The threat suggested Spain would be "paid in kind"
in "a war that does not distinguish between civilians and militants."
"Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's crimes against tourists and aid workers should galvanize governments into action to protect
civilians," said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "AQIM should free its hostages and end such
attacks. And foreign ministers from the region should insist that those responsible are brought to justice."
The AQIM statement to El País also referred to "demands" to the Spanish government to secure the release of two Spanish aid workers
it admitted kidnapping in Mauritania on November 29. The communiqué did not specify the demands. A third Spanish aid worker
detained at the same time, Alicia Gamez, was released by AQIM on March 10.
Formerly known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, the group affiliated itself with al Qaeda in January 2007, and has since
extended its operations from Algeria to other North African and Sahel states.
AQIM has been implicated in the deliberate killing of scores of civilians, including the December 28, 2009 killing of four Saudi tourists in
Niger; the June 23, 2009 killing of an American missionary in Mauritania; the May 31, 2009 killing of a British tourist; the December
2007 killing of four French tourists in Mauritania; and the December 2007 twin bombings of the United Nations offices and a court
building in Algiers that left 41 dead.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
14/04/2010:
The President of the Republic received the National Commission on Human Rights
Accra, April 14, 2010 (AFP)-President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had an audience Wednesday morning at the
presidential palace in Nouakchott, the National Commission on Human Rights headed by Mr. Baba Bamarièm Koïta, its president .
After the hearing, Mr. Baba Bamariem Koita said AMI President of the Republic has the honor to the President and members of the
National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) in receiving them today and telling them clear and clarity available to make human rights
a reality in our country, hoping that the NHRC along with the state partners and civil society is an objective observer patient attentive and
independent evolution of human rights in our country.
The President of the Republic hopes that the NHRC visited all the regions of our country to the reality of human rights in Mauritania, to
transmit to the Executive Directors and all violations that have been committed and to explain all that the law allows an advisory
committee to meet.
He added that the meeting also explains the powers of the commission and listen to the President of the Republic assured availability and
the strong support of the administration and the state for the commission and the full application of human rights in our country and to
continue the policy of protection of these rights in Mauritania.
Click here to read more »
14/04/2010:
The President of the Republic received the National Commission on Human Rights
Accra, April 14, 2010 (AFP)-President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had an audience Wednesday morning at the
presidential palace in Nouakchott, the National Commission on Human Rights headed by Mr. Baba Bamarièm Koïta, its president .
After the hearing, Mr. Baba Bamariem Koita said AMI President of the Republic has the honor to the President and members of the
National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) in receiving them today and telling them clear and clarity available to make human rights
a reality in our country, hoping that the NHRC along with the state partners and civil society is an objective observer patient attentive and
independent evolution of human rights in our country.
The President of the Republic hopes that the NHRC visited all the regions of our country to the reality of human rights in Mauritania, to
transmit to the Executive Directors and all violations that have been committed and to explain all that the law allows an advisory
committee to meet.
He added that the meeting also explains the powers of the commission and listen to the President of the Republic assured availability and
the strong support of the administration and the state for the commission and the full application of human rights in our country and to
continue the policy of protection of these rights in Mauritania.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
Nouakchott, May 15, 2010
The sub-committee of communication of the NHRC
La National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) has participated on 12 and 13 May 2010 at two international conferences on Human
Rights, Rabat (Morocco) and Banjul (Gambia).
In Morocco, the 6th session of the Arab National Institutions of Human Rights considered the role of national institutions for human
rights in strengthening the rule of law in Arab countries. Participants agreed that international institutions of Arab human rights must
build their credibility through independent and relevant proposals that should lead to improvements in all situations of violations of human
rights.
The participants also unanimously decided to hold the seventh session of the Arab National Institutions of Human Rights, in a year,
Nouakchott. Such a session would be held for the first time in our country. This is a victory for Mauritania and the NHRC.
The NHRC was present at the 47th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, held in Banjul (Gambia). The
Commission Continental recognized and appreciated the efforts made by Mauritania in the criminalization of slavery, humanitarian
settlement of the liability, the eradication of the legacy of slavery and slavery-like acts.
She invited other states to follow this example of courage and vision in the field of human rights. The Commission has also, in plenary
by acclamation, to membership process of the NHRC to his entreaties. This status will now enable the NHRC to be able to intervene in
their own right, throughout the work of this regional commission.
Another proof of recognition of the role of the NHRC, but also an encouragement for this institution will become even more in fulfilling
its mission of observation, warning and proposition of human rights , on good terms with the government, and dynamic partnership with
NGOs for human rights and development partners.
Such events represent the efforts by our country and encourage them to persevere and to continue the struggle for human rights.
In this series of fortunate events that are seeing the progress our country in terms of human rights, we must add the election, Thursday,
May 13, 2010, Mauritania, the standing board member of Human Man of the United Nations for a term of three years. A set of
incentives that will stimulate our country in its commitment to human rights.
Click here to read more »
Nouakchott, May 15, 2010
The sub-committee of communication of the NHRC
La National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) has participated on 12 and 13 May 2010 at two international conferences on Human
Rights, Rabat (Morocco) and Banjul (Gambia).
In Morocco, the 6th session of the Arab National Institutions of Human Rights considered the role of national institutions for human
rights in strengthening the rule of law in Arab countries. Participants agreed that international institutions of Arab human rights must
build their credibility through independent and relevant proposals that should lead to improvements in all situations of violations of human
rights.
The participants also unanimously decided to hold the seventh session of the Arab National Institutions of Human Rights, in a year,
Nouakchott. Such a session would be held for the first time in our country. This is a victory for Mauritania and the NHRC.
The NHRC was present at the 47th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, held in Banjul (Gambia). The
Commission Continental recognized and appreciated the efforts made by Mauritania in the criminalization of slavery, humanitarian
settlement of the liability, the eradication of the legacy of slavery and slavery-like acts.
She invited other states to follow this example of courage and vision in the field of human rights. The Commission has also, in plenary
by acclamation, to membership process of the NHRC to his entreaties. This status will now enable the NHRC to be able to intervene in
their own right, throughout the work of this regional commission.
Another proof of recognition of the role of the NHRC, but also an encouragement for this institution will become even more in fulfilling
its mission of observation, warning and proposition of human rights , on good terms with the government, and dynamic partnership with
NGOs for human rights and development partners.
Such events represent the efforts by our country and encourage them to persevere and to continue the struggle for human rights.
In this series of fortunate events that are seeing the progress our country in terms of human rights, we must add the election, Thursday,
May 13, 2010, Mauritania, the standing board member of Human Man of the United Nations for a term of three years. A set of
incentives that will stimulate our country in its commitment to human rights.
Click here to read more »
TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE
April 14 2010
DECLARATION
Just installed the new President of the National Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Bamariam KOITA, conducted by the dismissal of the
Adviser to the NHRC, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, defender of human rights, committed, active and serious.
Indeed, Thursday, March 31, 2010, Biram was convened by the new President of the Commission who has verbally notified his
dismissal without cause, other than his or overflowing of victims of human rights violations.
The Commission should retain its independence vis-à-vis all executive power, since it is an independent public institution.
This arbitrary decision against an activist known for his fight against all violations of human rights abuses in Mauritania is offensive,
improper and unacceptable from a national institution for human rights.
This, one of the first acts of new President of the NHRC, the expressed concern instrumentalisation of the institution that must remain
independent of any political power.
She began her credibility, already widely questioned in the appointment of its Chairman and especially its members.
Must remember, this designation has occurred in violation of the Paris Principles.
The FONADH:
- Protested against this action as unfair and supports unwavering defender of human rights victims of arbitrary
- Demands his immediate reinstatement in his position within the NHRC,
- Calls on national and international organizations to provide support to the militant,
- Make the authorities accountable for any breach of security of person.
Done in Nouakchott, April 12, 2010
Signatory organizations
1. Association of Women Heads of Families (AFCF)
2. Cde Mauritanian Association of Human Rights (AMDH)
3. Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Language and Culture SOONINKE (AMPLCS)
4. Association for the Renaissance of Pulaar in RIM (ARPRIM)
5. Association for Strengthening Democracy and Citizenship Education (ARDEC)
6. Committee of Solidarity with Victims of Violations of Human Rights in Mauritania (CSVVDHM)
7. Collective Widows.
8. Groups of Studies and Research on Democracy and Economic and Social Development (GERRDES)
9. African League of Human Rights (Section Mauritania)
10. Mauritanian League for Human Rights (LMDH)
11. Coalition of Victims of Events 1989 - 1991 (DREAM)
12. SOS - Slave.
Click here to read more>>
April 14 2010
DECLARATION
Just installed the new President of the National Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Bamariam KOITA, conducted by the dismissal of the
Adviser to the NHRC, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, defender of human rights, committed, active and serious.
Indeed, Thursday, March 31, 2010, Biram was convened by the new President of the Commission who has verbally notified his
dismissal without cause, other than his or overflowing of victims of human rights violations.
The Commission should retain its independence vis-à-vis all executive power, since it is an independent public institution.
This arbitrary decision against an activist known for his fight against all violations of human rights abuses in Mauritania is offensive,
improper and unacceptable from a national institution for human rights.
This, one of the first acts of new President of the NHRC, the expressed concern instrumentalisation of the institution that must remain
independent of any political power.
She began her credibility, already widely questioned in the appointment of its Chairman and especially its members.
Must remember, this designation has occurred in violation of the Paris Principles.
The FONADH:
- Protested against this action as unfair and supports unwavering defender of human rights victims of arbitrary
- Demands his immediate reinstatement in his position within the NHRC,
- Calls on national and international organizations to provide support to the militant,
- Make the authorities accountable for any breach of security of person.
Done in Nouakchott, April 12, 2010
Signatory organizations
1. Association of Women Heads of Families (AFCF)
2. Cde Mauritanian Association of Human Rights (AMDH)
3. Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Language and Culture SOONINKE (AMPLCS)
4. Association for the Renaissance of Pulaar in RIM (ARPRIM)
5. Association for Strengthening Democracy and Citizenship Education (ARDEC)
6. Committee of Solidarity with Victims of Violations of Human Rights in Mauritania (CSVVDHM)
7. Collective Widows.
8. Groups of Studies and Research on Democracy and Economic and Social Development (GERRDES)
9. African League of Human Rights (Section Mauritania)
10. Mauritanian League for Human Rights (LMDH)
11. Coalition of Victims of Events 1989 - 1991 (DREAM)
12. SOS - Slave.
Click here to read more>>
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
President since 01 August 2009
President since 01 August 2009
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
Current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination country for children trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation;
slavery-related practices, rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships, continue to exist in isolated parts of the country;
Mauritanian boys called talibe are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; children are also trafficked
by street gangs within the country that force them to steal, beg, and sell drugs; girls are trafficked internally for domestic servitude
and sexual exploitation; women and children from neighboring states are trafficked into Mauritania for purposes of forced begging,
domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation
Tier rating: The Government of Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and
is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not show evidence of overall progress in prosecuting and punishing
trafficking offenders, protecting trafficking victims, and preventing new incidents of trafficking during the past year; progress that the
previous government demonstrated in 2007 through enactment of strengthened anti-slavery legislation and deepened political will to
eliminate slavery and trafficking has stalled; law enforcement efforts to address human trafficking including traditional slavery
practices decreased (2009)
slavery-related practices, rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships, continue to exist in isolated parts of the country;
Mauritanian boys called talibe are trafficked within the country by religious teachers for forced begging; children are also trafficked
by street gangs within the country that force them to steal, beg, and sell drugs; girls are trafficked internally for domestic servitude
and sexual exploitation; women and children from neighboring states are trafficked into Mauritania for purposes of forced begging,
domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation
Tier rating: The Government of Mauritania does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and
is not making significant efforts to do so; the government did not show evidence of overall progress in prosecuting and punishing
trafficking offenders, protecting trafficking victims, and preventing new incidents of trafficking during the past year; progress that the
previous government demonstrated in 2007 through enactment of strengthened anti-slavery legislation and deepened political will to
eliminate slavery and trafficking has stalled; law enforcement efforts to address human trafficking including traditional slavery
practices decreased (2009)
