First Independent Mena Newspaper
According to a UN human rights expert, black Mauritanians are constantly subject to slavery-like practices including sexual harassment and violence. Mutuma Ruteere, the UN special rapporteur on racism claims that many black Mauritanians, mainly women and children, are still living with families in the conditions that remind of slavery. He adds that it is still […]
The results from the first round of the parliamentary and local government elections are dominated by the ruling party, Union for the Republic (UPR). The elections are seen as major test for President Abdel Aziz. Some of the opposition parties decided to boycott the elections in which 75% of the 3,5million voters took part. The […]
Mauritanians voted in an election over that weekend that was boycotted by most of the radical opposition. While the country’s current President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, is expected to retain power, the formerly banned Islamist party Tewassoul that wants to establish Sharia law looks poised to win seats in parliament. It was the first time […]
Allegations of fraud are being claimed by Tawassoul President Jemil Ould Mansour in the parliamentary and local elections held during the weekend. The ruling party is already leading in the polls counted. Some opposition parties boycotted the elections claiming it is an “electoral masquerade”. The final results are yet to be published by the electoral […]
The controversial European Union-Mauritania fisheries deal has finally been approved by the members of the European parliament much to the dismay of some of the fishermen. The protocol of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) with Mauritania becomes the biggest with regards to volume and the highest financial contribution that the EU has ever concluded. The […]
The much criticized fisheries agreement between the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the European Union (EU) has been reviewed after successful negotiations between parties in Nouakchott. Improvements were made on license conditions but Mauritania’s financial gains were reduced. Most of the improvements were centered on fishery resource planning and protection in relation to previous agreements. […]
Mauritania has set it conditions and role in UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told a gathering in his “meet the public” tour that “we have set our conditions” and our participation will depend on their acceptance. Mauritania wants to limit its activities along its border with Mali. […]
Mauritania is preparing for elections but tensions have begun to rise before politicians hit the campaign trail. Communication Minister Mohamed Yahya Ould Hormah has announced the 12th of October as the date for parliamentary and municipal elections but opposition parties have threatened to boycott it because it will be a mockery of the population. The […]
Mauritania like some other countries in the Maghreb region is experiencing a rise in strength of the political arm of AQIM (Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb) known as Ansar al-Sharia. But unlike some of its neighbors such as Tunisia and Libya, where the group has a strong foothold, Mauritania has not experienced any popular uprising […]
Mauritania’s efforts in improving its telecommunications connectivity through expansion of fiber-optic broadband networks has received a boost after the board of executive directors of the World Bank approved $30 million in International Development Association credits to support the government’s efforts. The World Bank’s Director for Regional Integration, Colin Bruce, said that they “want to harness […]