Stories about Mauritania from August, 2012
Mauritania: Landslides Leave Residents Homeless
Landslides resulting from recent heavy rain left hundreds of families homeless in different parts of Mauritania at the end of July. After destroying their homes, the landslides left hundreds of families in Kaedi (Southern Mauritania), Makta'a Lahjar and Aleg (Central Mauritania), and Nema (Eastern Mauritania), without roofs over their heads. Ahmed Jeddo reports on what happened and some of the reactions.
Mauritania: Using Twitter to Mock the President
On August 6, President General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz appeared on national television - while police attacked a journalist who was covering the assault and arrest of a guest who called upon the General to leave. Local Twitter users followed and commented in real time.
Mauritania: Demanding an End to Military Rule
Mauritanians took to the streets in a massive march calling for the end of their country's military rule. The march, on June 23, 2012, was organised by the Coordination of Democratic Opposition (COD). It started near the Youth Centre in the capital Nouakchott, passing by the Security Directorate and the Palace of Justice, where participants chanted for the fall of the ruling regime. The day ended with a popular rally. Ahmed Jeddou reports.
Mauritania: The Day Ould Taya was Toppled
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya ruled Mauritania for more than 20 years following a military coup he initiated against his predecessor Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah, on December 12, 1984. In 2005, he was toppled. Remembering Ould Taya's ousting, netizens share some of their memories and impressions on that day.
Mauritania: Bribery and String-Pulling, Made in China
"The Chinese accused of bribing escaped any legal pursuit. What matters is, as far as I know, that he is the first civil servant to report a bribery case in Mauritania." After three Chinese investors tried to bribe him, Mauritania's General Director of Taxation locked them in his office and called the police.
Mauritania: Head of Supreme Court Rejects His Dismissal
Mauritania has been witnessing a wave of mounting protests calling for the toppling of the military regime. According to the opposition [ar], the military rule is against the existence of an institutional state in addition to its attempts to tame justice. Meanwhile, the head of the Mauritanian Supreme Court, Seyid Ould Ghailani, has rejected the decision discharging him from his function prior to the end of his mandate. Ghailani considered this decree as a coup against justice and an outrageous interference in the work of the judicial power by the executive one.
Mauritania: $10 Million Aid Grant Comes Too Late
The World Bank has approved a US$10 million grant to help the Government of Mauritania provide emergency food and agricultural supplies to rural communities in the face of the country's...
Mauritania: Mining Workers Protest ‘New Kind of Slavery’
More than 2,300 laborers are protesting in the Mauritanian northern mining city of Zouerat, which has led to complete paralysis at some ten National Mining and Industrial Company sites, in addition to disrupting work in other locations. The demands centre around a pay dispute.
Mauritania: Torture in Detention Turns to Medical Nightmare
A young man wrongfully arrested on suspicion of theft is experiencing memory loss after being tortured while detained in the Ould Yengé district detention centre in July, 2012. Abderrahmane Demba...