Mauritania
A largely desert country, Mauritania covers a cultural transition area with the population divided between Arab-Berbers to the north and black Africans to the south. Many of its people are nomads. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.
Mauritania came under direct French rule in 1814, and gained independence in 1960. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Multiparty presidential elections since then have been widely seen as flawed; Mauritania remained, in reality, a one-party state: a highly centralized Islamic Republic dominated by a strong presidency.
President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya governed the country after a military junta in 1984, then after the 1992 multiparty election as head of a civilian government. In December 1997, Taya was re-elected president, receiving over 90% of the vote. The election was contested by four opposition candidates but boycotted by the five-party Opposition Front coalition. Taya survived several challenges to his rule; a coup attempt in 2003 was was put down after heavy fighting between loyal troops and rebel soldiers. Two more alleged coup attempts were thwarted in 2004.
With Taya out of the country for the funeral of the Saudi king, a group of 17 army officers staged a bloodless coup in August 2005 and announced the formation of a military council. The council, headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, said it had acted to end a "totalitarian" regime and promised to hold presidential elections within two years. Jubilant residents took to the streets of the capital Nouakchott in celebration, while the opposition and even Taya's own political party swiftly backed the junta's plans. Vall, a one-time ally of Taya's, had been the head of national security since 1987. One of Vall's first acts was to free 21 Islamists, jailed by the previous government. The military council appointed veteran politician Sidy Mohamed Ould Boubacar as prime minister.
The United States, the European Union and the African Union (AU) among others condemned the putsch, with Washington initially calling for Taya to be restored to power. Western diplomats then commented that relations with the military junta would normalize, if it lived up to its promise to organize democratic elections -- with a crucial first step carried out with a June referendum.
In June 2006, the junta held a referendum that saw high turnout. Mauritanians voted overwhelmingly to limit presidential terms in a referendum aimed at ensuring a change of leadership at least once every 10 years -- a novel concept in Mauritania, which has never seen power change hands without a coup. This constitutional referendum marked a crucial first step toward a return to civilian rule ahead of presidential elections next year. The amendments would limit future presidents to two five-year terms.
Many Mauritanians dismissed the sudden interest from outsiders over the junta, saying that other nations remained silent while Taya had opponents tortured or expelled during his 21-year rule. The African Union's decision to suspend the country was viewed by many in Nouakchott as hypocritical, particularly as many of the AU members themselves came to power following coups.
Mauritania's relations with its neighbors have frequently been strained. Morocco opposed the country's independence in 1960 and for a time tried to absorb it. But King Hassan II later improved ties as part of his plan to divide Western Sahara. Mauritania annexed the southern third of the disputed area in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Peace was agreed with the Polisario in 1979, but this in turn worsened relations with Morocco, until a detente in 1985. More recently, ties with Senegal have been strained over the use of the Senegal River, which forms the border between the two countries.
While there are currently no known threats to expatriates traveling to or living in Mauritania, political gatherings and street demonstrations occur periodically. During periods of political unrest, students frequently throw rocks at passing cars. Due to the potential for violence, travelers should avoid crowds, political rallies and marches, as well as the University and other schools.
