DOCSLIB.ORG

Mauritania República Islámica De Mauritania

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mauritania República Islámica De Mauritania OFICINA DE INFORMACIÓN DIPLOMÁTICA FICHA PAÍS Mauritania República Islámica de Mauritania La Oficina de Información Diplomática del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación pone a disposición de los profesionales de los medios de comuni- cación y del público en general la presente ficha país. La información contenida en esta ficha país es pública y se ha extraído de diversos medios no oficiales. La presente ficha país no defiende posición política alguna ni de este Ministerio ni del Gobierno de España respecto del país sobre el que versa. OCTUBRE 2013 Capital: Nuakchot (914.000 habitantes, Datos provisionales Censo General Mauritania Mauritania. FNUP). Otras ciudades: Nuadhibú, en torno a los 100 000 habitantes, Kiffa 45.000; Kaedi 43.000; Rosso 42.000; Zouerat 35.000 habitantes. Idioma: La Constitución de 1991 recoge como lengua oficial el árabe y “len- guas nacionales” el poular, el soninké y el wolof, además del árabe. Un alto SAHARA OCCIDENTAL porcentaje de la población habla, además, francés. Grupos étnicos: No existen estadísticas. De forma oficiosa se estima que en torno Océano Atlántico ARGELIA a un 20-30% de la población es de etnia árabe mora (moros blancos o beydane), 50% de moros negros (haratin), entre un 20 y un 30% de población de etnias negro- mauritanas (peul, wolof y soninké, entre otros) y cierto porcentaje de mestizos. Religión: Musulmana. Moneda: Ouguiya. (MRO). Forma de Gobierno: República. Zouérat División administrativa: 12 regiones y el distrito capital Nº Residentes Españoles: Nuadibú 196 y en Nuakchot 176 (datos a MALI 5/08/2013). 1.2. Geografía. Puede dividirse en cuatro zonas: Al sur, zona Sahel de dunas fijas con pluviometría que excede los 100 mm Nuakchot anuales y con cierta vegetación herbácea que ofrece pastos para ganado ovino y bovino. En esta zona se encuentra la parte norte del valle del río Senegal. Al norte, una zona sahariana de dunas vivas con índice de pluviometría inferior Néma a 100mm/año. Pocos puntos de agua. Rebaños, principalmente de camellos. La costa, difícilmente accesible por la abundancia de bancos de arena. Es la región más seca del país. SENEGAL Las mesetas de Adrar (500 m) y Tagant (300 m), macizos montañosos erosiona- dos. Las lluvias son relativamente abundantes, lo que ha permitido la plantación © Ocina de Información Diplomática. de palmerales y la existencia de poblaciones como Atar, Chinguetti, Tidjikja, Aviso: Las fronteras trazadas no son necesariamente las reconocidas ocialmente. Walata o Nema. Otras ciudades importantes: Aïoun, Akjoujt, Atar, Boghé, Boutilimit, Selibaly, 1. DATOS BÁSICOS Tidjikja. 1.3. Indicadores sociales. 1.1. Características generales Población urbana (% total) (2010): 41,4 Nombre oficial:República Islámica de Mauritania (Yumhuriya Islamiya Mauri- Densidad de población (hab. km2) (2013): 3,2 taniya). IDH (Valor numérico/nº orden mundial) (2013): 0,473/155 Situación: Situada en la región del Sahel. Entre los meridianos 4º 48’ y 16º 30’ Tasa de fecundidad (est. 2010-2015): 4,1 oeste de Greenwich y los paralelos 14º 45’ y 27º 22’ norte. Tasa bruta de mortalidad infantil (por 1.000) (est. 2010-2015): 68,8 Límites: Norte, Sáhara Occidental y Argelia; este, Mali; sur, Mali y Senegal; Esperanza de vida (años) (est. 2013): 58,9 oeste, océano Atlántico. Crecimiento población % anual medio (est. 2010-2015): 2,1 Superficie: 1.030.700 km2. Tasa de Analfabetismo % (PNUD, 2011): 42,5 Población: 3.387.868 de habitantes (Datos provisionales junio 2013 Censo Ingreso nacional bruto per cápita en dólares (2012): 1.298 General Mauritania. FNUP). Fuente: http://data.un.org. 2 FICHA PAÍS MAURITANIA 1.4. Estructura del Producto Interior Bruto IMPORTACIONES DE BIENES EN MILLONES DE EUROS 2010 Combustibles, Aceites Minerales 248,8 DISTRIBUCIÓN DEL PIB 2009 % Máquinas y Aparatos mecánicos 170,9 Agricultura 20,2 Azúcares y confitería 86,3 Industria 35,1 Cereales 86,1 Servicios 44,7 Aparatos y Materiales Eléctricos 85,1 Fuente:Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), enero 2013. Fuente: Secretaría de Estado de Comercio. Enero 2013 1.5. Coyuntura económica 2. SITUACIÓN POLÍTICA INDICADORES ECONÓMICOS 20101 20112 20122 20132 PIB m. de mill.$ 3,5 3,2 3,3 n.d 2.1 Política interior PIB % crecimiento real 5,2 4,7 5(b) 5,6 Tasa de inflación (Med.) 6,3 5,7 4,9 n.d El 28 de noviembre de 1960, Mauritania obtuvo la independencia. Ese mismo Tipo cambio sobre $ USA 275,9 281.1 296,6298, año se fundó la capital, Nuakchott, cuando todavía el 90% de la población era 1 Datos finales. nómada. 2 Estimaciones Fuente: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), julio 2013. El 20 de agosto de 1961, Moktar Ould Daddah fue elegido primer presidente de la República Islámica de Mauritania y sería reelegido como candidato único en 1.6. Comercio exterior 1966, 1971 y 1976 hasta que en 1978 fue derrocado por un golpe de Estado. La vida política en esos años estuvo dominada por el partido del Pueblo Maurita- Estructura de la balanza comercial (mill. $) no, (PPM), único partido autorizado del que era secretario general Ould Daddah. En 1961, Mauritania ingresó en la ONU y en la OUA, y en abril se establecieron 2011 2012 20131 20141 relaciones diplomáticas con España. Importación FOB 2.833,7 3.267,3 3.453,7 3840.4 Exportación FOB 2.798,6 2.854,9 2.851,6 2.890,1 Por el acuerdo tripartito de Madrid, de 14 de noviembre de 1975, España cedió Balanza C/C mill $ –528,8 -816,8 -580,6 -637,3 la administración del territorio del Sahara a Marruecos y Mauritania. Esto pro- 1 Estimaciones vocó la ruptura de Mauritania con Argelia, que reconoció a la República Árabe Fuente: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), julio 2013. Saharahui Democrática (RASD) proclamada por el Frente Polisario en 1976. 1.7. Distribución del comercio por países. 2010 y 2011 El Frente Polisario comenzó a atacar el norte del territorio mauritano, llegando incluso a Nuakchot, hasta que el 5 de agosto de 1979 Mauritania firmó con esta Principales clientes (Millones de €) organización el acuerdo de paz de Argel, renunciando a su zona de ocupación y normalizando poco después sus relaciones con Argelia. CLIENTES 2011 ∆ % China 277,4 29 La cuestión del Sahara fue la causante de que el presidente Daddah perdiera Francia 191,9 -3 gran parte del apoyo popular. Las revueltas se generalizaron y un golpe de Estados Unidos 174,7 177,7 Estado le derrocó en julio de 1978. Desde entonces hasta 1984, año en que España 130,4 63,8 llegó al poder Maaouya Ould Sidi Taya, se produjeron seis golpes de Estado y Alemania 122 111 de cambio de Gobierno. Maaouya Ould Sidi Taya permaneció en el poder hasta Brasil 115,1 44,2 ser derrocado por el golpe de Estado del 3 de agosto de 2005. Bélgica 97 -1,6 Malasia 91,1 54,6 En 1989, se registraron graves disturbios tanto en Mauritana, contra negro- mauritanos, como en Senegal, contra mauritanos árabes con el consiguiente Principales proveedores (Millones de €) desplazamiento de las respectivas minorías hacia sus países de origen. .Las relaciones diplomáticas entre Senegal y Mauritania se rompieron durante tres CLIENTES 2010 ∆ % años. Holanda 218,4 64,6 China 214,9 24 Paralelamente, la presión popular para democratizar el régimen fue aumentan- Francia 197,9 4,5 do. En 1991 se celebró, un referéndum sobre la aprobación de una Constitución Bélgica 98,6 52,9 presidencialista, se concedió una amnistía y se aprobaron leyes de partidos, de Brasil 79,8 6,4 régimen electoral y libertad de expresión. Sucesivamente, se fueron legalizando España 79,6 48,5 partidos políticos y centrales sindicales. Estados Unidos 62,9 56,1 Malasia 58,9 16,6 En 1992 se celebraron las primeras elecciones presidenciales multipartidistas, Fuente: Secretaría de Estado de Comercio IEC Dakar junio 2013. junio 2013 en las que venció Ould Taya con un 63% de los votos, frente al 33% de su rival Ahmed Ould Daddah, hermano del primer presidente del país. 1.8. Distribución del comercio por productos. 2011 El presidente Taya renovó su mandato en 1997 y 2003. Su partido, el Partido EXPORTACIÓN DE BIENES EN MILLONES DE EUROS 2011 Republicano Democrático y Social (PRDS), venció en las elecciones legislativas Pescados 190,2 de octubre de 2001, manteniendo su posición de primera fuerza política del Piedras, Metales Preciosos y Joyería 184,5 país, a enorme distancia de las restantes. Se configuró así un panorama marca- Minerales y Escorias 107,4 do por el fuerte liderazgo de Taya y la práctica hegemonía del PRSD, auténtico Residuos de Industria Alimentaria 14,8 “partido-Estado” que aglutinaba a una buena parte de las tendencias étnicas, tribales y políticas del país. 3 FICHA PAÍS MAURITANIA Los principales momentos del proceso de transición fueron la celebración de A lo largo del período 2010-2013, las relaciones poder-oposición han estado un referéndum sobre la reforma constitucional, el 25 de junio de 2006; las marcadas por las tentativas de celebrar un diálogo político. Para algunos parti- eleccio¬nes legislativas y municipales, en noviembre de 2006; las elecciones al dos de la oposición se trataba de un compromiso adquirido por Abdelaziz en el Senado indirectas, en enero de 2007, y las elecciones presidenciales a dos vuel- Acuerdo de Dakar, lo que incluía la presencia de observadores internacionales. tas, el 11 y el 25 de marzo de 2007. siendo elegido Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi. Abdelaziz, sin embargo, reiteraba su compromiso con el diálogo pero fuera de este marco, que consideraba superado tras la celebración de elecciones Todos los comicios contaron con la observación electoral de una misión de la presidenciales. Unión Europea (UE), que certificó la limpieza de los mismos. La profunda desconfianza existente entre el Presidente y algunos de los princi- El 19 de abril de 2007 tuvo lugar la ceremonia de investidura del nuevo pre- pales líderes de la oposición, principalmente Ould Daddah (RFD) y Ould Mouloud sidente de la República, que nombró primer ministro a Zeine Ould Zeidane, ex (UFP) condujo a que sólo un pequeño grupo de tres partidos pertenecientes a Gobernador del Banco Central y tercero en la primera vuelta de las elecciones la Coordinadora de la Oposición Democrática (APP, El Wiam y Hamam) junto a presidenciales.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mauritanian Women and Political Power (1960-2014) Céline Lesourd
    The lipstick on the edge of the well: Mauritanian women and political power (1960-2014) Céline Lesourd To cite this version: Céline Lesourd. The lipstick on the edge of the well: Mauritanian women and political power (1960- 2014). F. Sadiqi. Women’s Rights in the Aftermath of the Arab Spring„ Palgrave Macmillan, pp.77- 93., 2016. hal-02292993 HAL Id: hal-02292993 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02292993 Submitted on 20 Sep 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. THE LIPSTICK ON THE EDGE OF THE WELL: 1 MAURITANIAN WOMEN AND POLITICAL POWER (1960-2014) Céline Lesourd (Translated from French into English by Fatima Sadiqi) Women at the Meeting An immense wasteland. Deafening music. A colossal scene. Blinding projectors. A crowd of onlookers mingles at the meeting point of militants. Dozens of Land Cruiser VX, Hilux, gleaming new GXs, seek to come closer to the center of action. Drivers honk their horns and young women shout, waving the poster of a candidate. Some motion wildly from the back of pick-ups. All of them wearing light purple veils [melehfa], the winning color of the candidate who will soon become president.
    [Show full text]
  • Mauritania: the Country's Situation, Including the Human Rights Situation
    Response to Information Request MRT101577.FE Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada www.irb-cisr.gc.ca Français Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca Home > Research > Responses to Information Requests RESPONSES TO INFORMATION REQUESTS (RIRs) New Search | About RIRs | Help The Board 16 August 2006 About the Board MRT101577.FE Biographies Organization Chart Mauritania: The country's situation, including the human rights situation and the political situation (August 2005 - August 2006) Employment Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Legal and Policy References Background Publications In August 2005, a military coup d'état led by Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall Tribunal (UN 9 Dec. 2005; AI 23 May 2006; Aujourd'hui Le Maroc 3 Aug. 2005) [translation] Refugee Protection "put an end to the totalitarian practices" of President Maaouiya Ould Taya (FIDH 3 Division Aug. 2005; Mauritanie-web 3 Aug. 2005), who had been in power since 1984 (ibid.). The Military Council for Justice and Democracy (Conseil militaire pour la Immigration Division justice et la démocratie, CMJD), headed by Colonel Vall, now runs the country Immigration Appeal (Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 2 - 8 Oct. 2005, 38; see also FIDH Apr. 2006, 9). Division Decisions The CMJD has made some progress in rebuilding democratic institutions (ICG 24 Apr. 2006, 17; Jeune Afrique 26 Mar. - 1 Apr. 2006a, 53; see also AU 21 June Forms 2006, 1) and in eliminating corruption (ICG 24 Apr. 2006, 13- 14; UN 24 Feb. Statistics 2006). However, although freedom of association is respected and although various Research non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in human rights have been recognized (Jeune Afrique 26 Mar.
    [Show full text]
  • State of Play of EU-Mauritania Relations
    DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS State of play of EU-Mauritania relations ABSTRACT Mauritania, an important ally of the EU in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, faces several inter-related development challenges: ensuring an efficient use of the revenue derived from natural resources, economic diversification and improved governance. The severity of these development challenges is increased by difficult political relations between the three main ethnic groups in the country, the dominant group being the Arab-Berber Bidhan. They constitute less than one-third of the country’s population, but dominate economically and politically. The Haratin, the largest group in the country, is made up of descendants of black Africans enslaved by the Bidhan (freed or still enslaved). The third group in the country is the West Africans or Black Mauritanians. Mauritania’s post- independence history is marked by repeated attempts by this group to assert its non-Arab identity and claim for a more equitable share of political and economic power. The tension that these divisions create is a problem in itself, but they can also be appropriated by violent Islamist insurgencies in the region. The urgency of this challenge is further complicated by the likelihood of increased climate change effects that the country is currently not adequately prepared for. This study therefore discusses the main political, economic and development challenges that contemporary Mauritania is faced with, illustrating how these challenges can only be properly grasped with consideration to their historical evolution. Based on this, the study investigates the current basis for EU-Mauritania relations and suggests a select number of policy areas for consideration, as this relationship continues to evolve around issues of mutual concern such as security and development.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S.-Mauritania Relations and the Coriolis Force of Normalization with Israel
    Les Etats-Unis et le Maghreb 231 U.S.-MAURITANIA RELATIONS AND THE CORIOLIS FORCE OF NORMALIZATION WITH ISRAEL Mohameden OULD-MEY ∗∗∗ INTRODUCTION Mauritania’s normalization with Israel has propelled post-Cold War relations between Mauritania and the United States and has somehow raised the stakes of Mauritania within the overall U.S. global geopolitical economy, particularly in the arena of counterterror- ism. The U.S. government pressured the Mauritanian government to recognize Israel through the U.S. assistance programs, the U.S. lever- age over loans from international financial institutions, and the U.S. annual country reports on human rights. Before the Israeli connection, U.S.-Mauritania relations were limited to the “traditional” bilateral track of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the multilateral track of the Breton Woods institutions. With the Is- raeli connection, Mauritania acquired a special status in U.S. and Is- raeli diplomatic circles when it became “the third” Arab country (after Egypt and Jordan) and “the first” member of the Arab Maghreb Union to have full diplomatic relations with Israel. After the outbreak of the Palestinian Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, Morocco and Tunisia broke off diplomatic ties with Israel, Oman closed Israel’s trade repre- sentation office, whereas Mauritania warmed up its normalization with Israel. Mauritanian Foreign Affairs Minister Dah Ould Abdi vis- ited Israel in May 2001, while Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and For- eign Minister Shimon Peres visited Mauritania in October 2002 in the aftermath of the Israeli bloody attacks on the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus in April 2002 (Ould-Mey 2007).
    [Show full text]
  • PEACE and SECURITY COUNCIL 76Th MEETING 10 April 2007 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA PSC/PR/2(LXXVI) Original: French REPORT of the CHAIR
    AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA P.O. Box: 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel.:(251-11) 551 38 22 Fax: (251-11) 551 93 21 Email: [email protected], [email protected] PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 76th MEETING 10 April 2007 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA PSC/PR/2(LXXVI) Original: French REPORT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMISSION ON THE EVOLVING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA PSC/PR/2(LXXV) Page 1 REPORT ON THE EVOLVING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA I. INTRODUCTION 1. At the end of a nineteen months transition following the coup d’état in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, which took place on 3 August 2005, the electoral process paving the way for the return to constitutional order has been concluded with the holding of the first and the second round of the presidential election, on 11 and 25 March 2007, respectively, which led to the establishment of democratic institutions. 2. This report dwells on the evolving developments in Mauritania since 3 August 2005 and on the efforts deployed by the Commission to implement the relevant decisions of the Council with a view to accompanying the process of return to constitutional order in Mauritania. II. REACTIONS TO THE COUP D’ETAT OF 3 AUGUST 2005 AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS 3. In the absence of President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, who was away in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, attending the funeral of King Fahd, soldiers of the presidential guard took control of strategic areas in the capital, Nouakchott, in the early hours of Wednesday 3 August 2005.
    [Show full text]
  • La Transition Politique En Mauritanie
    LA TRANSITION POLITIQUE EN MAURITANIE: BILAN ET PERSPECTIVES Rapport Moyen-Orient/Afrique du Nord N°53 – 24 avril 2006 TABLE DES MATIÈRES RÉSUMÉ ................................................................................................................................... i I. LE COUP ET SES RAISONS ....................................................................................... 1 A. LA JOURNÉE DU 3 AOÛT 2005: LES MILITAIRES COMME TOUJOURS........................................1 B. UN RÉGIME FINISSANT...........................................................................................................2 C. L’ATTAQUE DE LEMGHEITY ..................................................................................................5 II. UNE RÉVOLUTION DE PALAIS POUR CHANGER QUOI?................................ 7 A. LES NOUVEAUX MAÎTRES ......................................................................................................7 B. PREMIÈRES RÉACTIONS ET PREMIERS ARBITRAGES ................................................................8 C. LES DOSSIERS QUE LE POUVOIR DE TRANSITION NE DEVRAIT PAS NEGLIGER ........................13 III. RÉACTIONS INTERNATIONALES ET IMPLICATIONS RÉGIONALES ....... 15 IV. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 17 ANNEXES A. CARTE DE LA MAURITANIE .................................................................................................19 B. À PROPOS D’INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ......................................................................20
    [Show full text]
  • Parlement Europeen
    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union (including Libya) Visit to Mauritania by a delegation working group 3 to 5 May 2006 Report by Luisa Fernanda Rudi Ubeda, Chairwoman of the delegation Introduction On 9 February 2006 the Conference of President authorised the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union to send a six-member delegation to Mauritania to assess the political situation after the events of 3 August 2006 and the prospects for holding elections. The political groups appointed the following members to the working party: Luisa Fernanda Rudi Ubeda (PPE-DE, Spain, Chairwoman), Alain Hutchinson (PSE, Belgium, Vice-Chairman), Francesco Musotto (PPE-DE, Italy), John Attard-Montalto (PSE, Malta), Lydie Polfer (ALDE, Luxembourg) and Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (UEN, Latvia). The working party visited Mauritania between 3 and 5 May and met the Head of State, the Prime Minister and the principal transition government ministers, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and representatives of the parties and civil society. It also visited development projects. The working party was also able to hold in-depth discussions with the ambassadors of the Member States and the Head of the Commission Delegation in Mauritania. The working party is especially grateful to the Head of the Commission Delegation, who with his team made a substantial contribution to the success of the visit. In drafting this report, we have preferred an analytical rather than a chronological presentation. I. Political situation On 3 August 2005, taking advantage of the fact that the head of state, Ould Taya, was out of the country, a group of soldiers led by the Director-General of National Security, Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, seized power in Nouakchott.
    [Show full text]
  • Mauritania: the Military's Presence in 'Democracy'
    MAURITANIA: THE MILITARY’S PRESENCE IN ‘DEMOCRACY’ By Yasmine Akrimi, North Africa Research Assistant POLICY BRIEF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT May Barth SEPTEMBER 2019 North Africa Research Assistant SERIES INTRODUCTION: has witnessed five coups or attempts of coups Report At A Glance since Moktar Ould Daddah was overthrown in 1978. The 2019 presidential elections in Mauritania were an occasion for the Brussels International Center’s This instability has led to a de facto constant mili- (BIC) North Africa department to focus on a coun- tary rule, through which democratic promises are try that is rarely considered in geo-political stud- successively deceived. This also led to a worsening ies. We attempted to understand the country’s representativity of Mauritania’s non-Arab commu- history and present; from its independence in nities. We analyzed the concept of “personal tran- 1960, to the latest elections in 2019. sition”, whereby the military junta maintains itself in power by organizing seemingly democratic elec- We collected information in Arabic, English and tions and presenting, or backing, a military candi- French, and conducted interviews with Maurita- date that is systematically elected or re-elected. nian and non-Mauritanian experts, journalists, and professors as to acQuire a comprehensive under- The second chapter, pertaining to the 2019 elec- standing of the country’s political and social con- tions, traced the multiple deficiencies that the struction. campaigning and voting processes have wit- nessed. Although these elections raised unprece- We then decided to organize the paper into two dented hopes for a true democratic transition, and chapters: the first is a historical review of the albeit the fact that some candidates including the country’s milestones from independence to 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • 'A Sword Hanging Over Our Heads'
    ‘A SWORD HANGING OVER OUR HEADS’ THE REPRESSION OF ACTIVISTS SPEAKING OUT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND SLAVERY IN MAURITANIA Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations.. © AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 2018 Cover photo: Collage of Mauritanian activists and human rights defenders EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED, CONTENT IN THIS DOCUMENT IS LICENSED UNDER A (from left to right): Mekfoula Brahim (WHRD, Pour une Mauritanie verte et CREATIVE COMMONS (ATTRIBUTION, NON-COMMERCIAL, NO DERIVATIVES, INTERNATIONAL 4.0) démocratique), Abdallahi Mattalah (anti-slavery activists, IRA), Cheikh Baye LICENCE. (youth activist, Mouvement du 25 février), Maimouna Sy (Collective des veuves HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-NC-ND/4.0/LEGALCODE du passif humanitaire) and Mamadou Sarr (Secrétaire Exécutif FONADH). FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE PERMISSIONS PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW. Quote from: Yacoub Ahmed Lemrabet, President of Kavana, Nouakchott, June AMNESTY.ORG 2017 © Amnesty International/Private WHERE MATERIAL IS ATTRIBUTED TO A COPYRIGHT OWNER OTHER THAN AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL THIS MATERIAL IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE. FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2018 BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LTD PETER BENENSON HOUSE, 1 EASTON STREET LONDON WC1X 0DW, UK Index: AFR 38/7812/2018 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 METHODOLOGY 10 BACKGROUND 12 Political context: Two coups, Two elections and a third term? 12 International support to Mauritania: ‘war on terror’ and irregular migration 13 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Mauritania Alternative Report
    Mauritania Alternative Report Report submitted to the Committee against Torture during the Review of the Initial Report on Mauritania April 2013 Alkarama Foundation – 2bis Chemin des Vignes – 1209 Geneva – Switzerland ( +41 22 734 10 06 – 7 +41 22 545 76 55 – * [email protected] – 8 www.alkarama.org Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 2 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 3 2 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 A POLITICAL HISTORY MARKED BY COUPS ....................................................................................................... 4 2.2 COUNTER -TERRORISM MEASURES ................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 SLAVERY STILL A PROBLEM ........................................................................................................................... 6 3 GAPS IN THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO COMBAT TORTURE ........................................................................ 8 3.1 TORTURE : A "C RIME AGAINST HUMANITY " ... THAT IS NOT CRIMINALIZED ............................................................ 8 3.2 A LEGAL FRAMEWORK THAT FAVOURS THE IMPUNITY OF VIOLATORS ...................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mauritania's Unfolding Landscape: Elections, Hydrocarbons and Socio
    Research Paper Paul Melly Africa Programme | April 2019 Mauritania’s Unfolding Landscape Elections, Hydrocarbons and Socio-Economic Change Mauritania’s Unfolding Landscape: Elections, Hydrocarbons and Socio-Economic Change Contents Summary 2 1. Introduction 3 2. Straddling the Maghreb and West Africa 6 3. Mauritania’s Societal Complexities 12 4. The Resource Economy and the Development Challenge 17 5. Personalized Power and Politics in the Abdelaziz Era 24 6. Conclusion 33 Acronyms and Abbreviations 34 About the Author 35 Acknowledgments 36 1 | Chatham House Mauritania’s Unfolding Landscape: Elections, Hydrocarbons and Socio-Economic Change Summary • President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz will comply with the constitution of Mauritania and stand down at the end of his second elected term of office in mid-2019. His chosen successor Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed Ahmed Ould Ghazouani, the defence minister, has been formally endorsed as a candidate by the ruling Union Pour la République (UPR). • Ghazouani is a longstanding close confidant of the current head of state. Even so, the change of national leader will test the resilience and adaptability of the power structure over which Abdelaziz has presided in a highly personalized manner for more than a decade. • Elections in September 2018 enlarged and diversified the range of opponents in the National Assembly, municipalities and in new regional councils. The opposition now faces the challenge of presenting voters with a coherent message and alternative electoral choice in the forthcoming presidential contest. • Mauritania’s democratic record is not flawless, and conditions have tightened since the regime’s more tolerant early years; strident critics have sometimes been met with a belligerent and repressive state response.
    [Show full text]
  • Mauritanie L'établissement De La Démocratie Peut-Il S'affranchir Du Règlement Du "Passif Humanitaire"?
    n° 447 Avril 2006 Rapport Mission internationale d’enquête Mauritanie L'établissement de la démocratie peut-il s'affranchir du règlement du "passif humanitaire"? INTRODUCTION . 6 I - CONTEXTE - DU COUP D'ETAT A LA DEMOCRATIE ?. 7 II - ENGAGEMENTS DES AUTORITES DE TRANSITION SUR LE RENFORCEMENT DE L'ETAT DE DROIT ET LE RESPECT DES LIBERTES FONDAMENTALES . 15 III - REPORT DU REGLEMENT DU "PASSIF HUMANITAIRE" . 19 IV - INCERTITUDES SUR LE SORT DES ISLAMISTES. 27 V - LA PRATIQUE DE L'ESCLAVAGE PERDURE . 30 CONCLUSION ET RECOMMANDATIONS . 32 ANNEXES . 35 Mauritanie - L'établissement de la démocratie peut-il s'affranchir du règlement du "passif humanitaire"? Données générales Superficie : 1.030.700 km² Population : 3,1 million (Source Nations unies, 2005) Capitale : Nouakchott Langue officielle : Arabe Monnaie : Ouguiya Religion : Islam Fête nationale : 28 novembre (proclamation de l'indépendance, en 1960) Espérance de vie : 51 ans (Banque Mondiale, 2003) Taux d'alphabétisation : 41% (Banque Mondiale, 2003) Indice de développement humain : 0,465 / 152ème sur 177 pays (P.N.U.D. 2005) Données politiques Constitution : juillet 1991 Régime transitionnel à la suite d'un Coup d'Etat militaire : 3 août 2005 Chef de l'Etat, président du Conseil militaire pour la justice et la Démocratie, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall Conventions internationales de protection des droits de l'Homme ratifiées par la Mauritanie Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques (ratifié en 2004) Pacte international relatif aux droits économiques, sociaux et culturels
    [Show full text]