Islamic Republic of Mauritania is RACIST REGIME managed by the Arabo-berbers minority. The black majority was subject to massive killings, tortures, Cultural and economic restrictions leading to a growing critical poverty status. In the other hand, the arabo-berbers are empowered economically, socially and culturally. Both the embezzlement of state resources and the land grabbing became the strategic governmental activity empowering the Arab businessmen.

This contribution is intended to raise the world awareness regarding the political situation in Mauritania and to share some prominent, tangible and verifiable facts that have portrayed Mauritania as a racist political ecosystem since 1960.

A SYNOPSIS ON MAURITANIA

Mauritania is officially called Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Mauritania is located in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west; the Western Sahara to the North; Algeria to the northeast; the republic of Mali to the east and southeast; The republic of Senegal to the southwest. The size of Mauritania is 1030.700 Square Kilometers which is twice greater than France. It is worth to remind that the capital of the Great Black Empire of Ghana that existed from the 3rd century was located in the land now known as Mauritania (Koumbi Saleh).

Historically, Mauritania was primarily populated by a black population called Bafours whose origins lie in various African ethnic groups such as Soninke, serer, Fulani, Bambanas etc. The bafours progressively migrated southward because of both environmental difficulties affecting the Sahara and ethnic conflicts opposing them to Arabs and Berbers invading their territory and exiling from North Africa (Morocco) and the Arabia (Yemen).

In the late 19th Mauritania was occupied by FRANCE until its independence in November 28th 1960. At its independence, Mauritania was exporting Iron and copper both were respectively extracted from Zouerate and Akjoujt. In addition, the country is known as rich in natural resources with the discovery of oil in 2001, Gold and other untapped raw minerals such as cobalt, phosphate and iron.

IS MAURITANIA IS A RACIST REGIME?

By definition, a racist regime, is a regime that promotes the superiority of a race over another. Subsequently the so called superior race benefits from all resources, privileges and rights while the discriminated race is restricted from its rights and/or is refused to access to resources and benefits.

Yet, for 5 decades, Mauritania remains a nation of poverty victimized by a racist and bad government controlled by the arabo-berber minority. Since its inception, Mauritanian government has been led by the arabo-berber who diverted the country from its African roots empowering its Arabic dimension. The government has continuously neglected blacks and engaged in promoting the arab culture and turning the country towards the Arab world to the detriment of the black majority. This heteroclite national component is composed of Fulani, Soninke, Wolof, Haratin and Bamana. The latter are not officially recognized as an ethic group but they exist and they are one of the original inhabitant of Mauritania. They are found in many Mauritanian cities such as Kiffa, Aioun, Boghe, Kaedi, Nouakchott ect.

The racism in Mauritania is a factual and it was manifested through many governmental decisions whose objective is to build a strong institutional foundation. By institutionalizing the racism, the government found a better way to speed up the collapse, over time, the African heritage of Mauritania.

1. Fist Factual Decision: ARABIC LANGUAGE WAS IMPOSED ON BLACK IN 1966

In 1966: 6 years after the country got its independence, the government led by Mokhtar Ould Daddah, decided to make the Arabic language as the official language and obligatory upon all Mauritanian citizens. In the aftermath of the decision, Mauritanian blacks who felt discriminated, protested nationwide to express their opposition.

19 Black intellectuals issued a protest called the “Manifesto of the 19” denouncing the racist governmental decision and more importantly expressing their support to black students who called for a nationwide protest. Ethnic conflicts raged in Rosso, Nouakchott and Nouadhibou resulting in tortures, deaths and arrests of many black people.

Since then, Mauritanian governments have extensively reinforced the Arabic language at many levels: In the administration and the entire educative system. Subsequently the arabo-berber minority was given a cynical privilege to populate and control the administration whereas black majority was progressively excluded and obstructed from being hired to serve the governmental institutions.

These reforms were conducted under

Mokhtar Ould Daddah (Arabo-berber), Moustapha Ould Saleck (Arabo-berer), Ould Louly (Arabo-berber) Mohamed Khouna Haidallah (Arabo-berber). However, the latter has distinguished himself from his peers. He was probably the best among them because of his courage to throw in jail the Nasserist and Baathists whose ideology was to eradicate the black Mauritanian component.

In addition, he made the decision to create an Institution whose main role would be the integration of Fulani, Soninko and Wolof languages in the educative system and later in the administration.

2. SECUND FACTUAL EVENT: A GENOCIDE AGAINST BLACK MAURITANIANS

1986: 20 years later many black intellectuals coming from a mixed ideologies created an organization called FLAM whose mission was to denounce and to fight the growing racist and oppressing system envisioned by the arabo-berber minority.

The FLAM published the “The Manifesto of the oppressed black Mauritanian” which provided a tangible ratio of Arabo-berbers to Blacks at the state level (Government, Administration, Military, Public agencies own by state etc.). They were arrested, tortured and thrown in prison. Mauritania was under

Moawiya Ould Taya who came to power by overthrowing Mohamed Khouna Haidallah.

1987: In the preparation of overthrowing the racist regime of Ould Taya, many black military officers were arrested, tortured. 3 of them, after a parody of justice, were hanged and killed on 12/6/1987 in Nouakchott.

1989: After an ordinary famer-herder conflict escalated as both a conflict against Senegalese and black Mauritanians of the growing racism. The regime led by Moawiya, who came to power after a coup on 12/12/1984, expelled more than 60.000 black Mauritanians who became refugees in Senegal and Mali. Police, the army, the marines joined by civilians (Arabo-berbers and their slaves) conducted a mass murder of blacks Senegalese and Mauritanians in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Rosso etc.

The massacres swept over the Senegal valley (Mauritanian side) against blacks and mostly Fulani. Many farmers, herders and fishermen were severely tortured and assassinated by marines, the police and the Army. All these governmental forces conducted a mass murder of blacks and were joined by civilians (Arabo-berbers and some haratines manipulated by arabo-berbers). Scenes of black Mauritanians hunted down, slaughtered and killed by wood bars, machetes and iron bars remained unforgettable. Many cities and villages have been emptied and their citizens entered both Senegal and Mali as refugees.

The sow called Senegal-Mauritania conflict was calculated and planned by the Nasserist and Baathists who were previously imprisoned by Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla.

11/28/1990: It was the day that coincides with Mauritanian independence which was organized the killing of 28 Fulani soldiers. The Mauritanian army

hanged 28 Fulani soldiers to celebrate the day. This barbaric event happened in a village situated in the northern part of Mauritania between Zouerate and Nouadhibou called Inal. Mauritania was then led by Moawiya Ould Taya who sought and obtained refugee status in Qatar where he is currently residing.

From 1990 to 1991: Many other black officers, civilians (Teachers, soldiers, religious leaders, students, educated and unemployed civilians, women and youths) were tortured and killed. Throughout the Mauritanian territory mass graves were identified by Human rights and political activists: Inal, Sorimale, Bakaw, Thienel Halaybe, Selibaby, Ould Yenge, Jreida ect.

According to many Human rights associations more than

500 black Mauritanians mostly Fulani were assassinated. The racist regime of Moawiya initiated an amnesty law via its corrupted, unpopular and criminal national congress in 1991.

ADAMA NGAIDE/MBA