Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The issue of Western Sahara (Spanish Sahara) finally toppled the government. In 1975
the very sandy Spanish Sahara (a Spanish colony) was divided between Morocco and
Mauritania. But the Polisario Front launched a guerrilla war to oust both beneficiaries
from the area. Mauritania was incapable, militarily and economically, of fighting such a
war. A bloodless coup took place in Mauritania in 1978, bringing in a new military gov-
ernment that renounced all territorial claims to the Western Sahara.
A series of coups ensued. Finally, Colonel Maaouya Sid' Ahmed Ould Taya came to
power in 1984. For black Africans, this was even worse than being under Ould Daddah.
Ethnic tensions culminated in bloody riots between the Moors and black Africans in 1989.
More than 70,000 black Africans were expelled to Senegal, a country most had never
known.
In 1991 Mauritania supported Iraq during the Gulf War, and aid dried up. To counter
criticism, Taya introduced multiparty elections in 1992, which were boycotted by the op-
position. Riots over the price of bread in 1995 worsened the political situation. Cosmetic
elections were held in 2001, with Taya still holding the whip hand.
The 2000s have been marked by coups. In June 2005, Taya was toppled in a bloodless
coup led by Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall. Vall was largely popular and formulated a
new constitution and voluntarily gave up power by holding elections in March 2007. Sidi
Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was returned as Mauritania's first democratically elected presid-
ent. He openly condemned the 'dark years' of the late 1980s, and sought rapprochement
with the expelled black Moors - a move that angered the traditional elites and which led,
in part, to his overthrow by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in a coup in August
2008. Despite international condemnation, his position was consolidated the following
year in elections that saw Azis narrowly returned as president.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Culture
Mauritanian society is changing fast. Tourism development in the heart of the desert, the
internet and mobile phones have played a crucial role in the last decade. But despite the
profound social changes, the extended family, clan or tribe remains the cornerstone of so-
ciety, especially with the Moors.
As in many Muslim countries, religion continues to mark the important events of life.
Although slavery was declared illegal in 1980, it is still widespread and the caste system
permeates society's mentality.
