Stories from Quick Reads and Mauritania
AQIM Losing Ground to Dāʻish in the Sahel Region
While the Islamist group Boko Haram threatens to extend its caliphate in the north -east part of Nigeria, major developments are taking place in the Sahel with respect to the security of the region. Kaci Racelma, a Nigerien blogger wrote in his blog A Niamey ( In Niamey) about the relationship...
Moroccan Hackers Attack Mauritanian Government Sites
A group of hackers calling themselves the “Moroccan Secret Agent” have succeeded in breaching and seizing control [ar] of several Mauritanian governmental websites. The group defaced the websites with slogans insulting the Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and his Algerian counterpart, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, calling the two heads of state “enemies...
Mauritanian Police Clamps Down on Black Protest
On May 4, 2014, Mauritanian police broke up [ar] a massive gathering in Nouakchott. People were commemorating [ar] the return of a group of Mauritanian blacks [ar] from Senegal in 2008 [en] , after being subjected to forced displacement in the aftermath of the bloody events [en] which occurred between 1989 and 1991. On April...
When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ?
A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who demand more rights and the enforcement of existing laws. This protest marks the first anniversary of the Haratin Manifesto [fr]. The...
Quran Desecration Sparks Trouble in Mauritania
The Mauritanian capital Nouakchott witnessed violent clashes between security forces and an angry crowd after people tore up a copy of the Quran. One person was killed in the clashes.
A Call for More Religious Tolerance in Mauritania
Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, a 28 year old blacksmith in Nouadhibou (a town 465 km north of Nouakchott, Mauritania), was charged with apostasy by the penal court for questionning on online forum some of the decisions of the Prophet Muhammad regarding Djihad. Following the charges, Professor Mustapha Ely, author of a dozen books and an international...
Mauritanian Blogger Babbah Weld Abidine Arrested
On August 7, Mauritanian authorities arrested [ar] Babbah Weld Abidine, a blogger (editor of Lebjawi News blog) [ar -fr] and a correspondent in the Region of Tagant for the website “Reporters – Mourasiloun”. Two days before his arrest, Weld Abidine went to the Public Prosecution office to inquire about a rape case...
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
Blame Jihadis Financial Incentives, not Gaddafi's Fall, for Troubles in Mali
Jihadis venture capitalism extended to an even more lucrative business: kidnapping western hostages all over the Sahara yielded over 90 Million Euros over a decade [..] The modus operandi was very simple: why get killed trying to create an Islamist emirate in “apostate-ruled” neighboring countries when you can build your...
Mauritanian Women Speak up against Rape
A group of Mauritanian women launched an initiative against rape and all other forms of violence against women in their country. Entitled “Etkelmi or Speak up” [ar and fr], this campaign aims according the blog “Al Tasfera” [ar] to break the wall of silence surrounding rape and encourage victims to demand their...
Sixteen Teachers Arrested in Mauritania
On December 23, Mauritanian authorities arrested 16 teachers who had heckled the Education Minister in protest against their arbitrary transfer to remote posts, for having taken part in last year's demonstrations. The police sent these teachers to its various offices in Nouakchott. Journalist Mohamed Salem comments: يجدد نظام العقيد ولد...
Mauritania: “Don't Touch my Nationality” March Broken by Police
On November 28, 2012, Mauritanian police dispersed [ar] a march organized by “Don't touch my nationality” movement and arrested their coordinator Birane Wane [en]. The opposition group was asking for the trial of all those involved in the killing of black officers in the Mauritanian army in the 90's during...
Time for Civil Rule in Mauritania
Mauritanian blogger Ahmed Jedou calls [ar] says it is high time his country had civil rule. He blogs: “Today it is obvious that the military look at us as if we are a ball they are playing with. Our war should be for the establishment of a civil state which...
Mauritanians Protest French Interference
The coordination of Mauritanian Opposition held a massive rally on Wednesday [November 21] asking France to stop interfering in the country's politics. The protesters also reiterated their demands to end the military regime in Mauritania.
Mauritania: “Knowledge for All” Campaign to Collect 30,000 Books
A group of Mauritanian activists initiated a Facebook campaign entitled “Knowledge for all” [ar], which aiming to gather 30,000 books before Mauritania's Independence day [Nov 28] and hand them to the National Library. The campaign was met by great enthusiasm from Mauritanian intellectuals and figures, who praised the campaign and and donated many books. Hussein Ould...
Mauritanians Protest in Solidarity with Gaza
After Friday Prayers, hundreds of Mauritanians took to the streets of the capital Nouakchott on November 16, 2012, in a solidarity rally with Gaza residents after the city became the target of heavy Israeli bombing.
