The Senegal-Mauritania Conflict
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Case no. 1 Senegal-Mauritania conflict Evolution of transhumance routes from 1950 to 1960 Moktar Lahjar Chogar 250 mm MAURITANIA Lake Aleg Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl 300 mm Dar El Barka Keur Massène Bogué Podor Bababé Drought cycle and evolution of Rosso Mbagne Kaedi pastoralist dynamics Lake Guier Senegal St Louis SENEGAL The transhumant and/or nomadic Matam agropastoralists in the region close to the river valley are predominantly from the Fulani haalpulaar communities. The toucouleur farmers live in large villages. Bakel In the lower valley, 75% of the Fulani farm the from 1960 to 1970 walo in the dry season, very few do so in the diéri area. The lands cultivated after flood MAURITANIA Lake Aleg waters recede are rented out by the Wolof Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl and the Moors. In Bogué, very little arable Dar El Barka land belong to the Fulani. Cropping was Keur Massène Bogué Podor concentrated in the walo and around Demèt Bababé Rosso 250 mm (middle valley). Mbagne Kaedi Senegal St Louis Lake Guier 300 mm Aridity advances north of the river as shown SENEGAL Matam by the shift in isohyets. During the dry season Moor and Fulani cattle herds find refuge south of the river. Campsites gradually move further south. Transhumant activities are carried out Bakel on over longer distances and durations. from 1980 to 1990 Flood recession agriculture is practiced by MAURITANIA two-thirds of Mauritanian Fulani in Rosso Lake Aleg 12 and Rkïz, especially in the four zones: Garak Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl 76 Dar El 12 streamlets, around the diéri, walo basins Barka Bogué Keur Massène 250 mm between Rosso and the Ganien forest, Lake 23 Podor Rosso Bababé Rkïz and its streamlets. Most land is owned Mbagne Kaedi Senegal by Moors and Wolof (Dagana, Gani and St Louis Lake Guier 300 mm Guidakhar). SENEGAL Matam On the Mauritanian side of the river between Dar el Barka and Bogué, the Fulani seem to own more the majority of land, especially along the diéri. Transhumance is becoming Bakel more concentrated around the river while at Isohyets Settlement sites Main transhumance 25 Number of rice plantations the same time agricultural activities intensify. 0 km 80 kms routes farmed by mauritanian Agricultural and pastoral activities are Fulani increasigly in competition. Security Implications of Climate Change in the Sahel Region © SWAC 2010 1 Case no. 1 Senegal-Mauritania conflict Settlement dynamics and Cultural areas and settlement dynamics competition over land and ressources 1973 – 1978 The droughts of 1972 – 1973 and between1983-1986 lead to decline in cattle herds reducing significantly the revenues MAURITANIA of Fulani cattle herders. Negro-mauritanian farmers - mainly Soninke – have emmigrated Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl massively during the mid-70s (65% of arriving Bogué Dagana migrants in France in 1975 are Soninkés, 15% Podor Rosso R. Toll Halpulaar). During the same period Maure Kaedi 250 mm Gorgol nomades fled in great numbers to Nouakchott Lake Guier St Louis and Dakar. 300 mm SENEGAL Matam Drought and water scarcity encourage efforts to broaden co-operation between Senegal, Mauritania and Mali. Leading to the construction of dams in Manantali (1988) and Bakel Diama (1986) and the creation of an Inter-state authority to jointly manage the river (OMVS). This example contradicts often expressed believes that water scarcity is always a After 1983 conflict vector. The 1989 Senegal-Mauritania crisis illustrates how economic opportunities, MAURITANIA created by hydroelectric and agricultural investments, can heighten tensions over land and water assets and awake an old dispute Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl over the border demarcation between the two Bogué countries. Dagana 250 mm Podor Diama Rosso R. Toll Kaedi Gorgol The economic and environmental effects of Lake Guier 300 mm the large scale hydroelectric and agricultural St Louis investments are very different for riverside SENEGAL Matam residents. Population increased over the last 30 years, predominantly sedentary Maures and Haratins. Population between Gorgol and Guidimakha grows from 135.000 to 229.000 Bakel between 1970 and 1990 and between the area Cultural areas and main human settlements of Trarza and Brakna from 77.000 to 138.000. The fragile livelyhood system equilibrium is Toucouleur Emmigration towards France altered by intensive agricultural production Internal migrations (Dakar – Nouakchott) Fulani and provokes conflicts between fishing Installation of Maure agricultural cooperatives Maure communities, farmers and livestock breeders Dam over land and resource use. Underlined by Wolof Isohyets the multiplication of incidents provoked by 0 km 80 km straying animals during the late ‘80s. Security Implications of Climate Change in the Sahel Region © SWAC 2010 3 Case no. 1 Senegal-Mauritania conflict 70.000 Main incidents: MAURITANIA Expulsions, Lake D’Aleg border tensions Lake Rkïz Lake Mâl and refugees Bogué Podor Rosso Bababé Nguendar Mbagne Kaedi St Louis Lake Guier Dagana Matam SENEGAL Boki Diawé 170.000 Bakel Installations of communities from Sahara occidental TRIGGERING EVENT Expulsions of mauritanian Fulanis an incident linked to straying animals opposing at Diawara, 9 April 1989, Expulsions of Senegalese Soninke farmers and mauritanian Fulani herders. Expulsions of Maures Number of expulsions Main incidents Refugee camps Main camps The economic and geopolitical context in This reform ignores customary law and communities. During the same time the Mauritania during the the ‘70s and ‘80s is legalises exproriations, predominatly suffered number of senegalese refugees in camps particularly fragile. The finanical situation by mauritanian Fulani. The crisis further along the river bank is estimated at 25 to deteriorates between 1976 and 1978 spurs the expulsions, often to the benefit of 50.000 during 1989 et 1992. following the conflict with the Front Polisario. large agricultural cooperatives. Iron ore prices fall and the great drought of During May and June 1989 the risk of a 1973 causes significant loss of cattle herds. In April 1989, incidents opposing mauritanian military conflict between the two states is The tensions caused by the debate over the Fulani herders and senegalese Soninke considerable. The tension over the border “nationality” issue is further aggravated by farmers end in massacers. Waves of demarcation reemerges when Senegal the Coup d’Etat attempt in1987 orchestrated retaliation follow: against mauritanian traders tries to apply for international arbitration. by black-mauritanian officers of the FLAM. in Dakar, senegalese residents in Mauritania Until 1992, the two states defend their and large scale expropriation and expulsions unreconciable positions. Based on a colonial In 1983, the mauritanian government adopts of senegalese Fulani herders and black- treaty from 1933, Senegal insists on the a new land right law aimed at stimulating mauritanians from the mauritanian river bank. north-bank of the river as delimitation of the agricultural productivity in irrigated areas. The land is acquired by Maure and Haratin border. Security Implications of Climate Change in the Sahel Region © SWAC 2010 5 SAHEL AND WEST AFRICA Club Secretariat Le Seine Saint-Germain du Secrétariat 12 bd des Iles F–92130DU SAHEL Issy-les-Moulineaux ET DE Club L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUES T Contact [email protected] Mailing Address 2 rue André Pascal F–75775 Paris Cedex 16 Phone +33 (0)1 45 24 89 87 Fax +33 (0)1 45 24 90 31 E-mail [email protected] www.oecd.org/swac.