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!
