



Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Climate: Predominantly hot and dry.

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Mauritanian(s).
Population (2005): 2,906,000.
Annual growth rate: 2.7%.
Religion: Islam.

Note: On August 3, 2005, President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya was deposed in a bloodless coup. Military commanders, led by Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Fal (alternative spelling: Vall) seized power while President Taya was attending the funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. Colonel Fal established the ruling Military Council for Justice and Democracy to run the country. The council dissolved the Parliament and appointed a transitional government. The United States calls for a return to a constitutional government through free and fair elections as soon as possible.
Type: Republic.
Independence: November 28, 1960.
Political parties: 21.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
National day: November 28, Independence Day.

GDP (2003): $1.1 billion.
Annual growth rate (2003): 2.7%.
Per capita income (2003): $430.
Services (50.8% of GDP 2003).
Currency: Ouguiya (UM).



Moors reacted to this change by trying to Arabicize much of Mauritanian life, such as law and language. A schism developed between those who considered Mauritania to be an Arab country (mainly Moors) and those who sought a dominant role for the Sub-Saharan peoples. The discord between these two conflicting visions of Mauritanian society was evident during intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events"). It has since subsided. However, the tension between these two visions remains. A significant number from both groups, however, seeks a more diverse, pluralistic society.

[See note on August 2005 coup under "Government" in the Profile section.]

Mauritania's last presidential election, its third since adopting the democratic process in 1992, took place on November 7, 2003. Six candidates, including Mauritania's first female and first Haratine (former slave family) candidates, represented a wide variety of political goals and backgrounds. Incumbent President Maaouiya Sid'Ahmed Taya won reelection with 67.02% of the popular vote, according to official figures, with second-place finisher Mohamed Haidallah earning just under 20%. Several opposition groups alleged that the government had used fraudulent means to win the elections, but did not elect to pursue their grievances via available legal channels. The elections incorporated safeguards first adopted in the 2001 municipal elections--published voter lists and hard-to-falsify voter identification cards--and took place amid a generally calm atmosphere. However, main opposition candidate Mohamed Haidallah was arrested prior to Election Day on charges of planning a coup, released the same day, and rearrested after Election Day. He received a suspension of civil rights and a five-year suspended prison sentence for his alleged coup plotting.

The PRDS, led by President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, dominated Mauritanian politics from the country's first multi-party elections in April 1992--following the approval by referendum of the current constitution in July 1991--until he was overthrown in August 2005. President Taya, who won elections in 1992 and 1997, first became chief of state through a December 12, 1984 bloodless coup which made him chairman of the committee of military officers that governed Mauritania from July 1978 to April 1992. The country's first president, Moktar Ould Daddah, served from independence until ousted in a bloodless coup on July 10, 1978. A group of current and former Army officers launched a bloody but unsuccessful coup attempt on June 8, 2003.



Political parties, illegal during the military period, were legalized again in 1991. By April 1992, as civilian rule returned, 16 major political parties had been recognized; 12 major political parties were active in 2004. Most opposition parties boycotted the first legislative election in 1992, and for nearly a decade the parliament has been dominated by the PRDS. The opposition participated in municipal elections in January-February 1994 and subsequent Senate elections, most recently in April 2004, gaining representation at the local level as well as three seats in the Senate. The Parliament was dissolved by the Military Council in August 2005. Currently, 21 political parties are recognized, and several other parties have applied to the transitional government for recognition.

Principal Government Officials (installed by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy)
President--vacant (Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Fal is the President of the Military Council)
Prime Minister--Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation--Ahmed Ould Sid'Ahmed
Minister of Economic Affairs and Development--Hammada Ould Abed
Minister of Commerce, Handicrafts, and Tourism--Ba Abderrahmane
Ambassador to the United Nations--Mohamed Ould Tolba
Ambassador to the United States--Tijani Ould Kerim


The United States Government has condemned the August 2005 coup and the unconstitutional assumption of power by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy, and has called for a return to a constitutional government through free and fair elections as soon as possible.




By the late 1990s, the Mauritanian Government: adopted policies facilitating the return of those expelled or who fled during the 1989 Events; turned away from Iraq and toward the West; and initiated a poverty reduction strategy while securing debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. (See also Fact Sheet.) Improved relations with the United States, including the return of military cooperation and training programs, accompanied these changes. Mauritania is eligible for U.S. trade benefits under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), but did not export any products to the US under these benefits during the first half of 2003 (last available data). Mauritania formally opened diplomatic relations with Israel in 2000 and remains one of only three Arab League member-nations to have done so.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Joseph LeBaron
Deputy Chief of Mission--Steven Koutsis
Regional Security Officer--David Groccia
Political-Consular Officer--Josh Morris
Economic-Consular Officer--Anita Ghildyal
Management Officer--John Madden
Peace Corps Country Director--Obie Shaw


[This is a mobile copy of Mauritania (09/05)]

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