The provisional official results released on Sunday 21 May 2023 by the electoral commission in Nouakchott reveal that the ruling party in Mauritania won a large victory in the parliamentary, regional and municipal elections on 13 May. These elections aimed to elect 176 deputies, 13 regional councils and 238 municipal councils, one year before the presidential election.

The El Insaf party, led by President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani who has been in power since 2019, won 80 seats, according to the results read by the president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Dah Abdel Jelil. A dozen formations that are members of the presidential mobility have obtained 36, and the opposition 24 of which nine for its main party, the Islamist movement Tewassoul.

A second round is scheduled for 27 May to fill 36 seats in the new National Assembly, while the current one is largely controlled by the presidential party.

The ruling party also won the 13 regional councils at stake and in 165 of 238 communes. The rest of the communes are divided between parties of the presidential majority and the opposition.

Turnout stood at 71.8% for these elections in which 25 political parties participated. The opposition denounced “huge fraud” during the elections.

Some 1.8 million voters were expected in these elections, the first since President Ghazouani took over in 2019 the head of this vast West African country recognized as one of the few poles of stability in the Sahel, a region troubled by jihadi attacks.

The Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated Tuesday, March 8, in a statement a copy of which was given to the Mauritanian news agency, having summoned the Mali ambassador to inform him of his “Strong condemnation of the recent recurrent criminal acts perpetrated by regular Malian armed forces against our innocent and defenceless citizens on Malian soil.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Mauritanian news agency, the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “recurrent criminal acts perpetrated by the Malian army” against its nationals. 

This protest comes after two serious events involving Mauritanians in the space of a few weeks in Mali, including the disappearance of several nationals across the border a few days ago. 

Here is the full text of the communiqué of the Mauritanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad convened SEM Mohamed Dibassi, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali accredited to our country. The purpose of the summons was to inform the ambassador of our strong condemnation of the recent recurrent criminal acts perpetrated by regular Malian armed forces against our innocent and defenceless citizens on Malian territory.

The previous act resulted in the sending of a high-level delegation of our country to the Republic of Mali to try to contain this hostile behaviour towards our fellow citizens, and despite the commitments given in this regard, the level of response of Malian officials – at the central and regional levels – remains below expectations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Mauritanians from outside, recalling our country’s position based on fraternal and humanitarian considerations and taking into account the links of history and geography, rejecting the principle of starving the Malian people, saying that the lives of our innocent citizens and the security of their property will remain above all consideration.”

I was very shocked and indignant to discover again on the web that some African brothers and sisters do not even know that there are Blacks, Haalpulaar(Ful6e), Soninko, Wolofs, Bamana… in Mauritania. Yes, blacks who are authentic Mauritanians, of origin, and not the mere sons of West African immigrants! Apparently they are completely unaware, like this Arab journalist who comments on the beinsports of the Mauritanian match against the Gambia, of the history of settlement, empires and other traditional kingdoms in our sub-region.

It must also be recognized that the racist policy of Mauritanian diplomacy has been so successful that everywhere in the world it is believed that the Mauritanian population is 100% Moorish (Bidhane) and that Mauritania must rhyme with mauritude! 

What is the black Mauritanian member of a delegation, studying abroad who has not been a victim of this misconception in some countries? ” You are Mauritanian , you are Arab?” or “You are “Naar”, so you speak Arabic or Hassaniya”!!
For those who do not know the history, today Mauritania is an artificial creation of the French colonizer and it is located on the ruins of the ancient Tekrour, Ghana, Fouta , Waalo, lands where these Negro nationalities were created, then individualized and developedAfrican (pulaar, soninke, wolof, bambara, serère…). Yes, Mauritania was not terra ex nihilis before the arrival of the Arab-Berbers!

In reality, if we refer to history, the black population is indigenous and everything also tends to prove that it is the majority in Mauritania. We do not naturally draw from this pretext to demand the installation of an exclusively black power in Nouakchott. And as we pointed out in our historical “Manifesto of the oppressed Negro-Mauritanian” of 1986, for the Blacks, the fact of being a majority and referring to a priority of the occupation are not enough to control this country. South Africa under Apartheid was an edifying example. Afrikaners are of European origin. They represented 3 million of the 25 that the country had. But they came to dominate it by means of political violence, police, military and economic domination, and it is the same iniquitous and cynical policy that is applied today in Mauritania in the silence and indifference of the international and African community.

Our African brothers and neighbours will certainly wait, as the other said, the day when the Europeans or Americans, who lack a good cause to defend would finally denounce what is happening in this country so close, then of course they will do the chorus. And our artists will suddenly find inspiration, our poets their muses, our griots will dust off their koras, our journalists their feathers, our pan-Africanists and “human rights” their voices, to sing the valiant HEROES murdered in the jails of the racist State in Walata, Djreïda, Inal, N’beyka and Azlat , to indignate at this beautiful Negritude flouted and finally denounce this other Apartheid in the heart of the Sahel.

Our most absolute wish would be that these questions of colour, of percentage should be put on the back burner to give way to the only criteria of competence and patriotism.

And as I often point out: Mauritania is beautiful when it is in harmony and takes pride in its diversity and identities!
Ebène and sand in harmony, Noirs and Beydanes united, you will relive my Mauritania. 

Tomorrow it will be day and the struggle continues!