In August 2005, a military junta engaged in a bloodless coup in Mauritania that ousted President Maaouya Sid’ Ahmed Ould Taya. Supporters and critics of this coup both explain this event in terms... Show moreIn August 2005, a military junta engaged in a bloodless coup in Mauritania that ousted President Maaouya Sid’ Ahmed Ould Taya. Supporters and critics of this coup both explain this event in terms of a struggle for democracy. According to the author this analysis can neither explain the coup nor the popular support of it. Instead, she argues that environmental catastrophe has long acted as a catalyst for political change in Mauritania, just as in other countries in North Africa. Political instability in other countries will surely follow in the wake of more bad harvests. Show less
The “League of Mauritanian Ulama” (LMU) was established in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in 2001. The period between its foundation and the presidential election of 2003 delineates a definite... Show moreThe “League of Mauritanian Ulama” (LMU) was established in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in 2001. The period between its foundation and the presidential election of 2003 delineates a definite change in the way Islam has been organized in Mauritania. It has become fundamental to incorporate actors not directly related with the official religious hierarchies in religiously focused discussions, and theologians have been approaching religious issues from a centralized state logic. Show less
The expansion of Islam in northwest Africa has been very much associated with the spread of brotherhood movements (turuq). Religious and educational practices as well as collective rules of conduct... Show moreThe expansion of Islam in northwest Africa has been very much associated with the spread of brotherhood movements (turuq). Religious and educational practices as well as collective rules of conduct carry the imprints of these movements, the political and economic influence of which has been - and remains - decisive in vast regions from Mauritania to Nigeria, from the Sudan to Senegal. Recent developments, however, indicate an increase in power of a neo-fundamentalist inspirational Islam originating in the Middle East, which presents itself as a rival to the ideas and practices developed by the local versions of asawwuf (Muslim mysticism) organized as brotherhoods. Show less
Since the early 1980s, the ideological landscape of Mauritania, dominated by an elite that originated from the political struggle for independence, has fallen into decline. In a time of economic,... Show moreSince the early 1980s, the ideological landscape of Mauritania, dominated by an elite that originated from the political struggle for independence, has fallen into decline. In a time of economic, social, and political crisis, neither the political elite nor the military was capable of meeting the expectations of Mauritanian society. The modernist projects, timidly undertaken since the independence, only reinforced economic and cultural dependency on the Western model. The failure of the national elite was blatant, and new social frameworks began to emerge in order to end the ‘state of grace’ enjoyed by the political power at the time. Show less
Depuis 1983 la Mauritanie est engagée dans un processus de réforme foncière. Le système de la tenure foncière traditionnelle du sol est aboli. L'individualisation est de droit. La réforme a pour... Show moreDepuis 1983 la Mauritanie est engagée dans un processus de réforme foncière. Le système de la tenure foncière traditionnelle du sol est aboli. L'individualisation est de droit. La réforme a pour but la mise en valeur accélérée de la terre afin d'augmenter la production alimentaire du pays. La région du Trarza-Est, dans la vallée du fleuve Sénégal a été choisie par les autorités mauritaniennes comme zone expérimentale. Un ensemble d'observations de première main, difficilement accessibles en raison des tensions foncières, politiques et ethniques qui règnent dans la région du Trarza-Est, ont été réunies par les auteurs lors d'une mission d'évaluation effectuée en 1992 et organisée par la Banque mondiale et les autorités mauritaniennes: elles permettent de mieux comprendre le contexte, l'origine et les raisons des conflits constatés. Show less
