Mauritania
March 3, 2020
Mauritania
Political instability, military rule, and Islamist terrorist
Figure 1. Mauritania at a Glance
threats have been recurrent challenges in Mauritania. Yet
the country recently underwent its first electoral transfer of
power after a president completed two elected terms in
office, and it is the only country in the Sahel region not to
have experienced a deadly terrorist attack since 2011. U.S.
engagement has expanded since the early 2000s, as regional
security threats have grown, and as U.S. officials have
come to see Mauritania as an able counterterrorism partner.
U.S. firms also have interests in Mauritania’s growing
offshore natural gas production. Human rights concerns—
particularly regarding the enduring practice of hereditary
slavery—and military coups in 2005 and 2008 have
nonetheless constrained bilateral ties.
Mauritania’s recent positive security trends—remarkable
given the enduring crises in neighboring Mali and in
Burkina Faso and Niger—may be attributable to
improvements in its counterterrorism capacity, de-
Source: CRS graphic. Data from CIA World Factbook, International
radicalization programs, and/or a rumored non-aggression
Monetary Fund (IMF, 2019); 2020 estimates unless noted.
pact with regional Al Qaeda-aligned networks (see below).
Mauritania may nevertheless remain vulnerable to Islamist
Prominent anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid—who
insurgent attacks or other forms of violent unrest.
won a seat in parliament in 2018—came in second in the
2019 race with 19% of the vote. The State Department
Hereditary slavery and racial exclusion have shaped
recognized Abeid as a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
Mauritanian culture and history. Society is divided along
Hero in 2016. Abeid’s political party has been denied legal
racial and linguistic lines into three broad identity groups:
recognition; to campaign, he has registered as an
bidane or “white” Arabs who have long comprised the elite,
independent or on other parties’ tickets.
haratine or “black” Arabs who are slave descendants or in
some cases active slaves, and “Afro-Mauritanians,” a
The Islamist Tawassoul party did not run its own
collective term for sub-Saharan African ethnic groups
presidential candidate, instead backing a former prime
whose native language is not Arabic. Each group reportedly
minister who came in third. The party may nonetheless
comprises around one-third of the population, although
remain the most broad-based opposition movement with 14
there are no authoritative data.
out of 157 seats in parliament, the second-largest block
Most of Mauritania’s territory is desert, aside from the
after the ruling Union for the Republic (UPR). (A change to
the constitution under Abdel Aziz dissolved the Senate,
relatively fertile Senegal River valley in the south. Despite
the country’s
leaving the National Assembly as a unicameral parliament.)
mineral resources and emergent energy sector,
development prospects remain hampered by poor
Protests erupted after the 2019 presidential results were
infrastructure, limited arable land, low rates of education,
announced. State security forces responded by banning
and regional insecurity. Since the 1970s, droughts have
demonstrations, detaining opposition figures, and cutting
forced what was once a largely nomadic pastoralist
access to the internet. Ultimately, tensions eased and
population toward sedentary and/or urban life. The
opposition figures were released. Ghazouani has since
population of the capital, Nouakchott, rose from about
moved to consolidate power, including by curtailing the
38,000 in 1970 to an estimated 1.3 million in 2020, per
influence of Abdel Aziz loyalists in the UPR, sparking an
U.N. data—nearly a third of the country’s total population.
unexpected power struggle. It remains to be seen whether
Politics
Ghazouani will open up new space for democracy and/or
address the legacy of racial and ethnic exclusion.
President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a retired military
Ghazouani and Abdel Aziz are both members of the bidane
general, was elected in 2019 with 52% of the vote in a six-
elite, as were all previous heads of state, along with the
way contest. He succeeded his political patron and former
senior military officer corps.
military peer, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who became
Mauritania’s first leader to abide by term limits without
Selected Human Rights Concerns
being overthrown first. Abdel Aziz was first elected in 2009
Mauritania nominally abolished slavery by decree in 1981,
after ousting the country’s first democratically-elected
but the practice was not explicitly criminalized until 2007.
leader in a coup, and his tenure was marked by tensions
A constitutional amendment in 2012 declared slavery a
with opposition parties and human rights activists.
crime against humanity, and parliament adopted a new anti-
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Mauritania
slavery law in 2015. In practice, norms have been slow to
According to IMF data, annual GDP growth ranged from
change. State institutions are reportedly reticent to
4.7%-5.6% the start of the 2010s, then collapsed to 0.4% in
prosecute slavery cases—notwithstanding the establishment
2015 due to a fall in global metal prices. Growth has since
of a National Agency for the Fight against the Vestiges of
recovered but has not been sufficient to alleviate poverty
Slavery, known as Tadamoun, in 2013—presumably due to
significantly. The national debt has also grown as a
the political influence of elite bidane families. The
percentage of GDP, reaching 83% in 2018, per the IMF.
government has denied legal recognition to various local
Gaps in infrastructure, service delivery, and access to
anti-slavery and human rights groups, and has subjected
education remain key challenges. Income inequality and
activists to harassment, mistreatment, and intimidation.
poverty are skewed along racial and ethnic lines, although
there is also divergence within the bidane community.
Afro-Mauritanian activists, for their part, have protested
national policies and discrimination favoring Arabic
U.S. Relations and Aid
speakers, along with a lack of accountability for state-
U.S. diplomatic relations have varied along with political
backed violence and mass expulsions targeting Afro-
conditions in Mauritania. Mauritania broke off ties from
Mauritanian communities in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2011,
1967 to 1970 in the wake of the six-day Arab-Israeli War.
Afro-Mauritanians protested the conduct of a national
Some U.S. aid was suspended after Mauritania’s 2005 and
census as an apparent effort to deny them citizenship rights.
2008 coups, in line with restrictions in annual aid
Mauritania is the only self-described Islamic Republic in
appropriations legislation, then restored after elections. A
North and West Africa. Only Muslims may be citizens, and
2019 State Department fact sheet on Mauritania cites
apostasy and blasphemy are crimes punishable by death.
“growing trade and investment relations” with Mauritania,
Foreign proselytization is prohibited and non-Sunni Islamic
“a rising player on the world natural gas stage.” At the same
religious activity regulated.
time, concerns over slavery have resulted in aid restrictions.
Terrorism
“As Mauritania consolidates democratic gains after this
In the mid-2000s, Mauritania was among the first targets of
year’s historic election by promoting national unity,
armed attacks in the Sahel by the Algerian-led regional
we look forward to working together to advance
network that later became Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
human rights and social equality to ensure peace and
(AQIM). Mauritanian nationals have held prominent
stability, to promote investment and fair labor
positions in AQIM and its various splinter factions and
practices to spur economic growth, and to bolster
affiliates, and at one time were represented in core Al
security cooperation in the region.” – Secretary of
Qaeda leadership. Mauritania has not experienced a terrorist
State Pompeo, November 28, 2019
attack since 2011, however—despite the proliferation of
Mauritania is designated as “Tier 3” (worst) under the
Islamist armed groups in neighboring Mali, a wave of large
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA; Div. A
attacks in and near several West African capital cities in
of P.L. 106-386, as amended), due in part to tolerance of
2015-2018, and a public threat of attack by AQIM in 2018.
slavery and related practices. Since FY2019, in a break with
Documents seized in the 2011 U.S. raid on Osama bin
prior practice across Administrations, President Trump has
Laden’s compound in Pakistan suggested that AQIM and
not waived restrictions on aid to Mauritania under the
Mauritania had discussed a de facto non-aggression
TVPA, which apply to “nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related
agreement. Whether a deal was concluded is unclear; the
foreign assistance” to the government and to U.S. support
Mauritanian government has denied any such accord.
for international financial institution funding. The precise
impact on U.S. programs has not been publicly detailed. In
Mauritania hosts the political headquarters of the G5 Sahel,
January 2019, citing “forced labor practices,” President
an ad hoc regional group—also comprising Mali, Niger,
Trump separately ended Mauritania’s eligibility for trade
Chad, and Burkina Faso—that launched a “joint force”
benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act
initiative to counter shared terrorist threats in 2017. A lack
(AGOA, Title I, P.L. 106-200, as amended).
of capacity, distrust, and divergent priorities have hampered
the initiative’s effectiveness. Donors have pledged funds,
U.S. aid is focused on counterterrorism, countering violent
but not all have materialized. Ghazouani holds the rotating
extremism, and humanitarian relief. State Department and
chair of the G5 Sahel in 2020. Unlike other G5 Sahel
USAID-administered bilateral aid funding—totaling $3
countries, Mauritania has declined to contribute troops to
million in FY2019 appropriations—is limited, but
the U.N. peacekeeping operation in Mali.
additional funds have regularly been allocated under
Economy
regional and global programs (including emergency
Mauritania is a top African exporter of iron ore. It also
humanitarian aid), and by the Department of Defense
exports gold and copper. Modest offshore oil production
(DOD). Some, but not all, counterterrorism aid has been
began in 2006, and in recent years there have been
suspended under the TVPA; in early 2020, Mauritania
hosted DOD’s
significant offshore natural gas finds. Half the population
flagship annual multinational military
reportedly depends on agriculture and livestock for
exercise in North-West Africa. Congressional appropriators
livelihoods. A U.S. firm, Kosmos Energy, is active in the
have directed millions of dollars in Economic Support Fund
gas sector, as is the multinational firm Shell. China is
(ESF) aid for “West Africa anti-slavery programs” in recent
Mauritania’s largest trading partner and export destination
years, which have focused in part on Mauritania.
by a wide margin. Commercial ties with former colonial
Alexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs
power France remain prominent, and Arab Gulf states have
pledged sizable development aid.
IF11444
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Mauritania
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