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90-787: The Tajakant mainly live in Mauritania , Morocco , Western Sahara , Algeria , and Mali . They are Muslims , adhering to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam . The Tajakant tribe descended from the tribe of Lamtuna , a fraction of the powerful tribe of Sanhadja in the Mauritanian Adrar. They became sedentary during the ninth century, at the fall of the Almoravid empire and founded two cities, Tinigui and Togba, located between Chinguetti and Ouadane , but since disappeared. The Tajakant were known as traders and warriors, and held

180-591: A "farce". Ould Mohamed headed a list of sanctions targets by the African Union which was put into effect on 6 February 2009. The sanctions against government and military officials who backed the August coup prevent travel to AU nations, the issuing of visas or travel documents to these individuals, and the seizure of bank assets within AU nations. In order to stand as a candidate in the presidential election, Mohamed

270-515: A 52% majority. Many of Abdallahi's former supporters criticized this as a political ploy and refused to recognize the results. Despite complaints, the elections were almost unanimously accepted by Western, Arab and African countries, which lifted sanctions and resumed relations with Mauritania. By late summer, Abdel Aziz appeared to have secured his position and to have gained widespread international and internal support. Some figures, such as Senate chairman Messaoud Ould Boulkheir , continued to refuse

360-478: A candidate in the July 2009 presidential election , which he won. He took office in August 2009. He was subsequently re-elected in 2014 , then did not seek re-election in 2019 . He was succeeded by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani , who assumed office in August 2019. Mohamed also held the role of chairman of the African Union from 2014 to 2015. In June 2021, Mohamed was arrested and detained on charges of corruption. He

450-458: A coup, but were attempting a strategy of political change by hiving "independent" parliamentarians off from the government, which would replace the President peacefully. A mass defection in the ranks of the ruling PNDD-ADIL party on 4 August 2008 (two days before the coup) with 25 Parliamentary deputies and 23 senators was reported to have been inspired by military leaders, and would have left

540-541: A leader of a Mauritanian Nasserist group, pan-Arab secular nationalists. Western sources, citing Mohamed's background in coming from a traditionally favored Oulad Bou Sbaa Chorfa clan group, questioned the general's commitment to democracy and reversing the history of ethnic and class inequities in the nation. Contrary to this, the Mauritanian press credited Mohamed for pushing to reduce military rule from 24 to 19 months and for attempting to limit voter fraud in

630-576: A military hospital in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott , and then, according to the French defense ministry, would be transferred to Percy-Clamart military hospital in Paris for additional treatment. In April 2010 Aziz and the leaders of Mali , Niger , and Algeria meet to tackle against terrorism. In November 2012, the Government of Mauritania began to allow privately owned TV stations for

720-540: A negligible player in the territorial dispute, with its official position being that it wishes for an expedient solution that is mutually agreeable to all parties. While most of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco, the UN still considers the Western Sahara a territory that needs to express its wishes with respect to statehood. A referendum, originally scheduled for 1992, is still supposed to be held at some point in

810-463: A number of press interviews to the international media. In these he stated that his actions were legal, a response to "anti-constitutional" oppression by the previous government, and that although "forced to take power" he had no desire for power. He did not rule out running in the promised elections, however. A Saudi-based newspaper claimed that the General was motivated by a combination of disgust at

900-520: A patriot, an advisor of the Moroccan king coming to Nouakchott to meet with Mohamed, and Libya and Senegal eventually pronounced their support for the new government. In contrast, the Algerian government has stridently opposed the coup, even while quietly receiving a visit from Mohamed's close ally and the new Mauritanian Chief of Armed Forces, Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani , and has attempted to rally

990-437: A prosecutor speaking on condition of anonymity and the spokesman of the former president's party Djibril Ould Bilal confirmed that a judge transferred Mohamed from house arrest to jail after he refused to cooperate with police. On 29 December 2021, Mohamed was admitted to Nouakchott Military Hospital where he successfully underwent heart surgery. According to his lawyer, Mohamed had fallen ill and suffered nose bleeds. In

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1080-669: A region in the ancient Maghreb . It extended from central present-day Algeria to the Atlantic . Berbers occupied what is now Mauritania by beginning of the third century AD. Groups of Arab tribes migrated to this area in the late seventh century, bringing with them Islam, Arab culture, and the Arabic language. In the early 20th century, Mauritania was colonized by France as part of French West Africa . It achieved independence in 1960, but has since experienced recurrent coups and periods of military dictatorship. The 2008 Mauritanian coup d'état

1170-415: A result, Abdallahi formally resigned under protest, as it became clear that some opposition forces had defected from him and most international players, notably including France and Algeria, now aligned with Abdel Aziz. The United States continued to criticize the coup, but did not actively oppose the elections. Abdallahi's resignation allowed the election of Abdel Aziz as civilian president, on 18 July, by

1260-418: A statement, Mohamed's family claimed that the former president's poor health came as a result of the corruption scandal, stating that they "fear for his physical liquidation" by the regime which "failed in its attempts to liquidate him politically." When Mohamed was discharged from the hospital, he was allowed to return on 7 January 2022 to house arrest instead of jail due to his health issues. On 1 June 2022,

1350-526: A strong position in the trans- Saharan trade between Belad Asudan (Sub-Saharan Africa) and Morocco. In 1852, Tajakant tribesmen founded a settlement and trading post in the oasis of Tindouf , in what is now Algeria. They were engaged in a lengthy war against the Reguibat and Kunta in the 19th   c., their allies in this war were the Senhaja. This culminated in 1895 where the settlement of Tindouf

1440-560: A week, a majority of the Mauritanian Parliament voted to authorize the coup, and on the 13th, Mohamed signed a decree appointing Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf as Prime Minister of Mauritania . The Council stated that Mohamed had the power to appoint the prime minister, military officials and civil servants in Mauritania. Neighboring support was somewhat forthcoming, with Morocco 's government press calling Mohamed

1530-608: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mauritania This is an accepted version of this page Mauritania , formally the Islamic Republic of Mauritania , is a sovereign country in Northwest Africa . It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast , Mali to the east and southeast , and Senegal to

1620-655: Is known as the Char Bouba War . The invaders were led by the Beni Hassan tribe. The descendants of the Beni Hassan warriors became the upper stratum of Moorish society. Hassaniya , a bedouin Arabic dialect named for the Beni Hassan, became the dominant language among the largely nomadic population. Starting in the late 19th century, France laid claim to the territories of present-day Mauritania, from

1710-513: Is multiethnic; the Bidhan , or so-called "white moors", make up 30% of the population, while the Haratin , or so-called "black moors", comprise 40%. Both groups reflect a fusion of Arab-Berber ethnicity, language, and culture. The remaining 30% of the population comprises various sub-Saharan ethnic groups . Mauritania takes its name from the ancient Berber kingdom that flourished beginning in

1800-606: Is not known but the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that, as of June 1991, 52,995 Mauritanian refugees were living in Senegal and at least 13,000 in Mali. Opposition parties were legalized, and a new Constitution approved in 1991 which put an end to formal military rule. But President Ould Taya's election wins were dismissed as fraudulent by some opposition groups. In

1890-583: The Military Committee for National Salvation . The energetic Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah soon emerged as its strongman. By giving up all claims to Western Sahara, he found peace with the Polisario and improved relations with its main backer, Algeria, but relations with Morocco, the other party to the conflict, and its European ally France, deteriorated. Instability continued, and Haidallah's ambitious reform attempts foundered. His regime

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1980-569: The Senegal River area northwards. In 1901, Xavier Coppolani took charge of the imperial mission. Through a combination of strategic alliances with Zawaya tribes and military pressure on the Hassane warrior nomads, he managed to extend French rule over the Mauritanian emirates . Beginning in 1903 and 1904, the French armies succeeded in occupying Trarza , Brakna , and Tagant , but the northern emirate of Adrar held out longer, aided by

2070-548: The southern part of Western Sahara , framed as an attempt to create a " Greater Mauritania ". Col. Mustafa Ould Salek 's Military Committee for National Recovery junta proved incapable of either establishing a strong base of power or extracting the country from its destabilizing conflict with the Sahrawi resistance movement, the Polisario Front . It quickly fell, to be replaced by another military government,

2160-553: The 2004 uprising. A military coup on 3 August 2005, led by Ely Ould Mohamed Vall , Director-General of the Sûreté Nationale , and Colonel Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who was commander of the Presidential Guard (BASEP), overthrew President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. Colonel Mohamed was one of the main actors in the actual carrying out of this coup. At the time, Mohamed was described by a Western academic as

2250-496: The African Union and Arab states against Abdelaziz. The United States has consistently issued press releases from the Department of State condemning the coup d'état as illegal and unconstitutional. The African Union has issued condemnation of General Aziz as well as travel bans and the freezing of assets of Aziz and those connected with the coup and the illegal seizure of the Mauritanian government. The BBC has pointed out that

2340-452: The BASEP (Presidential Security Battalion) came to our home and took away my father." The coup plotters, all dismissed in a presidential decree shortly beforehand, included Ould Abdel Aziz, General Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani , General Philippe Swikri, and Brigadier General (Aqid) Ahmed Ould Bakri. A Mauritanian lawmaker, Mohammed Al Mukhtar, claimed that many of the country's people supported

2430-626: The Berber peoples of the kingdom, the Mauri people . The word "Mauri" is also the root of the name for the Moors . It was more commonly known to Arab geographers as Bilad Chinqit, "the land of the Chinguetti". The term "Mauritanie occidentale" was officially used in a ministerial circular in 1899, based on a proposal by Xavier Coppolani , a French military and colonial leader, who was instrumental in

2520-519: The Canary Islands, i.e. Europe. The UN estimated that 150,000 people from Mali had fled to Maritania. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ( Arabic : محمد ولد عبد العزيز , romanized :  Muḥammad Wald 'Abd al-'Azīz ; born 20 December 1956) is a retired Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the 8th President of Mauritania from 2009 to 2019. A career soldier and high-ranking officer, he

2610-546: The General would stand as a candidate for president in that election. Despite this attempt to legitimize the post-coup government, the African Union carried out a sanctions regime first agreed on 22 December 2008, and continued to recognize Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi as the Mauritanian Head of State. The largest opposition parties initially refused to take part in the election, calling it "predetermined" and

2700-552: The General, who was previously seen as a supporting player in the 2005 coup, is now seen as having been the power behind the previous junta. It was also noted that the General, never seen without his military uniform, is already addressed by government staff as "president". An ally of Mohamed was quoted saying "He's a simple man, who likes order." Apart from deriding corruption and government inaction, Mohamed stressed his opposition to Islamic fundamentalism . An internet threat, released on 12 August, alleged to be from Al-Qaeda threatened

2790-468: The Halpularen ethnic group. The tension culminated in an international airlift agreed to by Senegal and Mauritania under international pressure to prevent further violence. The Mauritanian Government expelled thousands of black Mauritanians. Most of these so-called 'Senegalese' had few or no ties with Senegal, and many have been repatriated from Senegal and Mali after 2007. The exact number of expulsions

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2880-548: The Mauritanian Army and head of the presidential guard, who had recently been fired. Mauritania's presidential spokesman, Abdoulaye Mamadouba, said the President, Prime Minister, and Interior Minister had been arrested by renegade senior Mauritanian army officers and were being held under house arrest at the presidential palace in the capital. In the apparently successful and bloodless coup, Abdallahi's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said: "The security agents of

2970-635: The Moroccan administered territory of Western Sahara. They are one of the strongest proponents of the Moroccan claims on the territory, this might be due to their historical feud with the Rguibat. A few live in Algeria, Mauritania and Mali. This Morocco -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Western Sahara article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an ethnic group in Africa

3060-487: The President of Mauritania cannot be a member of any party. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sworn in as President at a ceremony held in Nouakchott on 5 August 2009. Mohamed was non-fatally shot on 13 October 2012. Reports are conflicting as to where on his body Mohamed was shot and whether the incident was an accident or an assassination attempt. The country's Communications Minister, Hamdi Ould Mahjoub, reported that

3150-714: The Sahara to the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. According to a disputed Arab tradition the Almoravids traveled south and conquered the ancient and extensive Ghana Empire around 1076. From 1644 to 1674 the indigenous peoples of the area that is modern Mauritania made what became their final effort to repel the Yemeni Maqil Arabs who were invading their territory. This effort, which was unsuccessful,

3240-604: The US and Europe. It was rewarded with diplomatic normalization and aid projects. On 28 October 1999, Mauritania joined Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan as the only members of the Arab League to officially recognize Israel . Ould Taya also started co-operating with the United States in anti-terrorism activities, a policy that was criticized by some human rights organizations. (See also Foreign relations of Mauritania .) During

3330-524: The Western Sahara conflict has been, since the 1980s, one of strict neutrality. The Mauritania–Senegal Border War started as a result of a conflict in Diawara between Moorish Mauritanian herders and Senegalese farmers over grazing rights. On 9 April 1989, Mauritanian guards killed two Senegalese. Following the incident, several riots erupted in Bakel , Dakar and other towns in Senegal, directed against

3420-474: The anticolonial rebellion (or jihad ) of shaykh Maa al-Aynayn and by insurgents from Tagant and the other occupied regions. In 1904, France organized the territory of Mauritania, and it became part of French West Africa , first as a protectorate and later as a colony. In 1912, the French armies defeated Adrar, and incorporated it into the territory of Mauritania. French rule brought legal prohibitions against slavery and an end to interclan warfare. During

3510-575: The capital Nouakchott . The coup proceeded without loss of life. Calling themselves the Military Council for Justice and Democracy , the officers released the following statement: The national armed forces and security forces have unanimously decided to put a definitive end to the oppressive activities of the defunct authority, which our people have suffered from during the past years. The Military Council later issued another statement naming Colonel Ould Mohamed Vall as president and director of

3600-401: The capital, Nouakchott . Mauritania television was taken off the air earlier, but Arabia -based al-Arabiya television played an announcement said to be from the new military junta. According to an official statement released on 7 August Sidi's powers were terminated and Mauritania would be governed on a transitional basis by an 11-member High Council of State, with Mohamed as the president of

3690-509: The center of political power with Ely Ould Mohamed Vall , who had left public life. Mohamed remained both Advisor to the President and General, and was described as being at the nexus of "a small galaxy of other colonels, businessmen and politicians, in an uneasy balance." A conflict with the President was clearly growing in June 2008. At the end of June, the left-wing UFP party reported that they believed Mohamed and Ghazouani were planning for

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3780-420: The colonial occupation and creation of modern-day Mauritania. This term, employed by the French, gradually replaced other designations previously used for referring to the country. The ancient tribes of Mauritania were Berber , Niger-Congo , and Bafour peoples. The Bafour were among the first Saharan peoples to abandon their previously nomadic lifestyle and adopt a primarily agricultural one. In response to

3870-487: The colonial period 90% of the population remained nomadic. Gradually many individuals belonging to sedentary peoples, whose ancestors had been expelled centuries earlier, began to migrate into Mauritania. Until 1902, the capital of French West Africa was in modern-day Senegal. It was first established at Saint-Louis and later, from 1902 to 1960, in Dakar. When Senegal gained its independence that year, France chose Nouakchott as

3960-708: The coming election. On 30 August 2007, President Sidi named Mohamed his Presidential Chief of Staff ( Chef d'Etat-major particulier du Président de la République ). Mohamed, now a General, continued to work closely with the President: at the end of February 2008 he served as a personal envoy of the President to King Mohammed VI of Morocco . General Mohamed was also commander of the forces sent to apprehend Group for Preaching and Combat militants who had killed four French tourists at Aleg in December 2007. A May 2008 article contrasted Mohamed's continuing involvement at

4050-540: The corruption of those close to Abdallahi, but also over legal threats against Mohamed and others by the president regarding the behavior of the Mauritanian military during the mass expulsion of black Africans in 1989 . Mohamed's initial list of names for the High Council of State included five civilians, released on 7 August along with a statement that former government ministers could retain their jobs. By

4140-429: The council, until a new presidential election was held "as soon as possible". Public reaction to the 2008 coup by western governments in the days after 6 August were hostile, with particularly harsh condemnation coming from former colonial power and past economic supporter France. In the two weeks following the coup, Mohamed met with a number of foreign delegations, made personal phone calls to foreign leaders, and gave

4230-611: The country (or 2.1% of the population). . Despite an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore and petroleum, Mauritania remains poor; its economy is based primarily on agriculture, livestock, and fishing. Mauritania is culturally and politically part of the Arab world ; it is a member of the Arab League and Arabic is the official language. The official religion is Islam , and almost all inhabitants are Sunni Muslims . Despite its prevailing Arab identity , Mauritanian society

4320-650: The country's sacrifice and defense. In late 2018, Mauritania bribed members of the EU parlament ( Antonio Panzeri ) to "not speak ill of Mauritania" in what became known as the Qatar corruption scandal at the European Parliament . In August 2019 Mohamed Ould Ghazouani was sworn in as president after the 2019 elections , which were considered Mauritania's first peaceful transition of power since independence. In June 2021 former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

4410-413: The coup leaders, and General Mohamed took the opportunity to stress his fidelity to the anti-terrorist operation which the United States government had funded in Mauritania since 2003 but suspended following the 6 August coup. The coup government of General Mohamed promised that it would hold a free and fair election for president on 6 June 2009. On 5 February 2009, Mauritanian state media reported that

4500-525: The education system. This was also a reaction to the consequences of the French domination under the colonial rule. Various models for maintaining the country's cultural diversity have been suggested, but none have been successfully implemented. This ethnic discord was evident during intercommunal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the " Mauritania–Senegal Border War "), but has since subsided. Mauritania expelled some 70,000 sub-Saharan African Mauritanians in

4590-441: The end of the same day, this list had been revised, without public explanation, to include all military figures. Two small demonstrations were held on the day following the coup: one opposing the seizure of power, which was dispersed by the police with tear gas, and one march supporting the military, at which Mohamed spoke. At that demonstration, marchers already carried life size photographs of Mohamed in military uniform. Within

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4680-521: The first time. A draft bill had been created in 2010 by the Senate of Mauritania . As for that in his party won the 2013 Mauritanian parliamentary election with 21% of the vote and they gained 15 seats in parliament. The cause for this was because Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed Lemine who was Union for the Republic's president told Mauritanians a majority in parliament would so that they could support

4770-447: The foreign press as saying: "It's a false resignation, a pretend resignation that the general is doing to trick public opinion and have people accept the putsch." The Union for the Republic political party elected Mohamed as its president at the party's constituent assembly on 5 May 2009. In the presidential election held on 18 July 2009, Mohamed won a first-round majority of 52.58%. He then resigned as party leader on 2 August 2009, as

4860-567: The future, under UN auspices, to determine whether or not the indigenous Sahrawis wish to be independent, as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , or to be part of Morocco. In 1960, Mauritania became an independent nation. In 1964 President Moktar Ould Daddah , originally installed by the French, formalized Mauritania as a one-party state with a new constitution , setting up an authoritarian presidential regime. Daddah's own Parti du Peuple Mauritanien became

4950-541: The government of not implementing anti-slavery law. Aziz and the Government of Mauritania stated that slavery had not existed in the country since 1981, when it was the last nation to abolish it. In March 2013, Aziz established an agency to stop slavery, known as the "National Agency to Fight against the Vestiges of Slavery, Integration, and Fight against Poverty". Mohamed did not stand for re-election in 2019, and

5040-583: The gradual desiccation of the Sahara, they eventually migrated southward. Many of the Berber tribes have claimed to have Yemeni (and sometimes other Arab) origins. Little evidence supports those claims, although a 2000 DNA study of the Yemeni people suggested some ancient connection might exist between the peoples. The Umayyads were the first Arab Muslims to enter Mauritania. During the Islamic conquests , they made incursions into Mauritania and were present in

5130-540: The indirectly-elected Senate and its replacement with Regional Councils, as well as merging the Islamic High Council and the national Ombudsman into a 'Supreme Council of the Fatwa'. The other one covered national symbols, including a proposal to change the national flag by adding a red band at the top and bottom to symbolize "the efforts and sacrifices that the people of Mauritania will keep consenting, to

5220-401: The late 1980s Ould Taya had established close co-operation with Iraq , and pursued a strongly Arab nationalist line. Mauritania grew increasingly isolated internationally, and tensions with Western countries grew dramatically after it took a pro-Iraqi position during the 1991 Gulf War . During the mid-to late 1990s, Mauritania shifted its foreign policy to one of increased co-operation with

5310-433: The late 1980s. Ethnic tensions and the sensitive issue of slavery – past and, in some areas, present – are still powerful themes in the country's political debate. A significant number from all groups seek a more diverse, pluralistic society. The International Court of Justice concluded that in spite of some evidence of both Morocco's and Mauritania's legal ties prior to Spanish colonization, neither set of ties

5400-494: The mainly Arabized Mauritanians who dominated the local retail business. The rioting, adding to already existing tensions, led to a campaign of terror against black Mauritanians, who are often seen as 'Senegalese' by the Bidān (White Moors), regardless of their nationality. As low scale conflict with Senegal continued into 1990/91, the Mauritanian government engaged in or encouraged acts of violence and seizures of property directed against

5490-486: The military junta organizing elections within a promised two-year timeline. In a referendum on 26 June 2006, 97% of Mauritanians approved a new constitution that limited the duration of a president's stay in office. The leader of the junta , Col. Vall, promised to abide by the referendum and relinquish power peacefully. Mauritania's establishment of relations with Israel – it was one of only three Arab states to recognize Israel – was maintained by

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5580-415: The military coup in 2005. This was the first time since Mauritania gained independence in 1960 that it elected a president in a multi-candidate election. The elections were won in a second round of voting by Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi , with Ahmed Ould Daddah a close second. On 6 August 2008 the head of the presidential guards took over the president's palace in Nouakchott, a day after 48 lawmakers from

5670-465: The national police force, the Sûreté Nationale . Vall, once regarded as a firm ally of the now-ousted president, had aided Ould Taya in the coup that had originally brought him to power, and had later served as his Security Chief. Sixteen other officers were listed as members of the council. Though cautiously watched by the international community, the coup came to be generally accepted, with

5760-563: The new order and call for Abdel Aziz's resignation. In February 2011 the waves of the Arab Spring spread to Mauritania, where thousands of people took to the streets of the capital. In November 2014 Mauritania was invited as a non-member guest nation to the G20 summit in Brisbane . The national flag of Mauritania was changed on 5 August 2017. Two red stripes were added as a symbol of

5850-543: The new regime, despite widespread criticism from the opposition. They considered that position as a legacy of the Taya regime's attempts to curry favor with the West. Parliamentary and municipal elections in Mauritania took place on 19 November and 3 December 2006. Mauritania's first fully democratic presidential elections took place on 11 March 2007. The elections effected the final transfer from military to civilian rule following

5940-654: The new state. At the same time, the French were militarily suppressing the most intransigent Hassane tribes in the north. French pressure on those tribes altered the existing balance of power, and new conflicts arose between the southern populations and the Moors. The great Sahel droughts of the early 1970s caused massive devastation in Mauritania, exacerbating problems of poverty and conflict. The arabized dominant elites reacted to changing circumstances, and to Arab nationalist calls from abroad, by increasing pressure to arabize many aspects of Mauritanian life, such as law and

6030-496: The president unable to govern. On 6 August 2008, Mohamed was ordered removed by Abdallahi from his command, along with several senior officers including General Muhammad Ould Al-Ghazwani , General Felix Negri , and Brigadier-General (Aqid) Ahmed Ould Bakri. The first announcement of the State Council was to annul this decree. By 9:20 local time, BASEP troops seized the President, Prime Minister, and Interior Minister in

6120-443: The president was shot in the arm, while Reuters medical sources said it was in the abdomen. Initially, Mauritanian radio reported that Mohamed survived an assassination attempt, but Mohamed subsequently said that he was accidentally shot by an army unit and was successfully operated on for minor injuries. Witnesses claim Mohamed was directly targeted by men who ran away after the shooting. Mohamed received an initial operation at

6210-414: The price of their blood, to defend their territory", as well as modifying the national anthem . Mohamed Ould Mohamed called for Mauritania to root out hate speech as he headed a rally aimed at ending ethnic tensions . He said that he adopted a law in which he cracked down on "hateful, racist or violent speech". Since 2015 many protests were held against slavery in Mauritania , with protestors accusing

6300-483: The program of President. Mohamed stood for re-election in 2014 , which he won over Biram Dah Abeid , with nearly 82% of the popular vote. After winning the election many opposition parties boycotted the election results. But even though the election was boycotted the African Union praised the elections for taking place relatively peacefully. A referendum took place in 2017 in which it was split into two questions on different proposed reforms. One covered abolition of

6390-442: The prosecutor ordered the referral of Mohamed to the Criminal Court on charges of corruption, money laundering, and illicit enrichment. The court file estimated the sums embezzled by Mohamed at US$ 90 million; these assets consisted of 17 houses, 468 plots of land, several herds of sheep, and ougiya banknotes. In October 2023, a prosecution requested 20 years in prison with confiscation of the property of Mohamed. On 4 December, he

6480-516: The regime of President Ould Taya Mauritania developed economically, oil was discovered in 2001 by the Woodside Company. On 3 August 2005 a military coup led by Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall ended President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya 's twenty-one years of rule. Taking advantage of Ould Taya's attendance at the funeral of Saudi King Fahd , the military, including members of the presidential guard (BASEP), seized control of key points in

6570-669: The region by the end of the seventh century. Many Berber tribes in Mauritania fled the arrival of the Arabs to the Gao region in Mali . Other peoples also migrated south past the Sahara and into West Africa. In the 11th century, several nomadic Berber confederations in the desert regions overlapping present-day Mauritania joined together to form the Almoravid movement. They expanded north and south, spawning an important empire that stretched from

6660-444: The release of Abdallahi, who was instead placed under house arrest in his home village. The new government broke off relations with Israel. After the coup Abdel Aziz insisted on holding new presidential elections to replace Abdallahi, but was forced to reschedule them due to internal and international opposition. During the spring of 2009, the junta negotiated an understanding with some opposition figures and international parties. As

6750-407: The ruling organization in a one-party system . The President justified this on the grounds that Mauritania was not ready for western style multiparty democracy . Under this one-party constitution, Daddah was re-elected in uncontested elections in 1976 and 1978. Daddah was ousted in a bloodless coup on 10 July 1978. He had brought the country to near-collapse through the disastrous war to annex

6840-471: The ruling party resigned in protest of President Abdallahi's policies. The Army surrounded key government facilities, including the state television building, after the president fired senior officers, one of them the head of the presidential guards. The President, Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghef , and Mohamed Ould R'zeizim, Minister of Internal Affairs, were arrested. The coup was coordinated by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz , former chief of staff of

6930-467: The site of the new capital of Mauritania. At the time, Nouakchott was little more than a fortified village (or ksar ). After Mauritanian independence, larger numbers of indigenous sub-Saharan African peoples ( Haalpulaar , Soninke , and Wolof ) migrated into it, most of them settling in the area north of the Senegal River . Many of these new arrivals had been educated in the French language and customs, and became clerks, soldiers, and administrators in

7020-574: The southwest . By land area Mauritania is the 11th-largest country in Africa and 28th-largest in the world; 90% of its territory is in the Sahara . Most of its population of some 4.3 million lives in the temperate south of the country, with roughly a third concentrated in the capital and largest city, Nouakchott , on the Atlantic coast. The country's name derives from Mauretania , the Latin name for

7110-517: The takeover of a government that had become "an authoritarian regime" under a president who had "marginalized the majority in parliament". However, Abdel Aziz's regime was isolated internationally, and became subject to diplomatic sanctions and the cancellation of some aid projects. Domestically, a group of parties coalesced around Abdallahi to continue protesting the coup, which caused the junta to ban demonstrations and crack down on opposition activists. International and internal pressure eventually forced

7200-575: The third century BC and later became the Roman province of Mauretania , which flourished into the seventh century AD. The two territories do not overlap, though; historical Mauretania was considerably farther north than modern Mauritania, as it was spread out along the entire western half of the Mediterranean coast of Africa. The term "Mauretania", in turn, derives from the Greek and Roman exonym for

7290-536: Was a leading figure in the August 2005 coup that ousted President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , and later in August 2008, he led another coup , that removed President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi . After the 2008 coup, Mohamed became president of the High Council of State as part of what was described as a political transition leading to a new election. He resigned from that post in April 2009 in order to stand as

7380-514: Was arrested amidst a corruption probe into allegations of embezzlement. In December 2023, Aziz was sentenced to 5 years in prison for corruption. In January and February 2024 there was a sudden increase of refugees from 2000 to 12,000 arriving on the Canary Islands by boat, so in March 2024, Ursula von der Leyen and Pedro Sánchez visited and the EU made a €210mn deal with Mauritania to reduce passage of African migrants through its territory towards

7470-454: Was attacked and sacked by a raiding party of Reguibat tribesmen. Tindouf was destroyed, and most of the northern Tajakant wiped out; some populations remain in Morocco, Western Sahara and a few in Mauritania, where their members have gained importance as religious scholars. Today's Tajakant are said to be sedentary, and engaged in small-scale trading and farming they mainly live in Morocco and

7560-432: Was deposed by Colonel Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , who, while retaining tight military control, relaxed the political climate. Ould Taya moderated Mauritania's previous pro-Algerian stance, and re-established ties with Morocco during the late 1980s. He deepened these ties during the late 1990s and early 2000s, as part of Mauritania's drive to attract support from Western states and Western-aligned Arab states. Its position on

7650-399: Was led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz , who won subsequent presidential elections in 2009 and 2014 . He was succeeded by General Mohamed Ould Ghazouani following the 2019 elections , head of an autocratic government with a very poor human rights record , particularly because of its perpetuation of slavery ; the 2018 Global Slavery Index estimates there are about 90,000 slaves in

7740-404: Was peacefully succeeded by the winner of the election, at that time his confidant Mohamed Ould Ghazouani . In March 2021, a judge charged Mohamed and 10 other people in his inner circle, including one of his sons-in-law, several former prime ministers, and businessmen, with corruption. One of his lawyers then revealed that Mohamed refused to answer any questions from the judge. On 23 June 2021,

7830-446: Was plagued by attempted coups and intrigue within the military establishment. It became increasingly contested due to his harsh and uncompromising measures against opponents; many dissidents were jailed, and some executed. Slavery in Mauritania still exists, despite being officially abolished three timesː 1905, 1981, and again in August 2007. Anti-slavery activists are persecuted, imprisoned and tortured. In December 1984 Haidallah

7920-583: Was required to step down as Head of State. He did so on 15 April, as expected, and the President of the Senate, Ba Mamadou Mbare , succeeded him in an interim capacity. Members of the opposition decried the move, saying the General was retaining real power. Mohamed Ould Maouloud , a leader in the National Front for the Defence of Democracy  [ fr ] (FNDD) opposition coalition, was quoted in

8010-672: Was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in December 2023. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was born in Akjoujt on 20 December 1956. He joined the Meknes Royal Military Academy in Morocco in 1977, and, after a string of promotions, established the elite BASEP (Presidential Security Battalion). He played a key role in suppressing an attempted coup in June 2003 and a military uprising in August 2004. He received Mauritania's highest military award for his role in stopping

8100-715: Was sufficient to affect the application of the UN General Assembly Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to Western Sahara . In 1976, Mauritania, along with Morocco , annexed the territory of Western Sahara . After several military losses to the Polisario – heavily armed and supported by Algeria, the regional power and rival to Morocco – Mauritania withdrew in 1979. Its claims were taken over by Morocco. Due to economic weakness, Mauritania has been

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