Yearbook 1996
Mauritania. President Maaouya Ould Sidi Ahmed Taya’s party, the Social Democratic Republican Party (PRDS), won the country’s first multi-party in October and captured 70 of the parliament’s 79 seats. The election results led to a political crisis when Prime Minister Cheikh El Avia Ould Mohamed Khouna and his government, which took office in January, resigned.
In the fisheries sector, the government is investing long-term on conserving the country’s resources and integrating industry into the rest of the economy. Nor are licenses granted to foreign boats.
Since 1987, a series of clashes have taken place between farmers and cattle owners in the border area of the Senegal River. In 1989, the situation was further aggravated when an excited mob of Mauritans attacked hundreds of unarmed Senegalese with sticks and stones in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital. In Dakar, returning Senegalese could report murder and assaults committed by Mauritanian people. It triggered a reaction from radical groups that killed Mauritanian traders and looted their stores. Inside Mauritania, clashes were also reported between Mauritans from the southern part of the country and Arabs and Berbers from other parts of the country. During these clashes, the army supported the Arabs and Berbers, and hundreds more were killed.
- ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG: What does MR stand for? In the field of geography, this two letter acronym means Mauritania. Check this to see its other meanings in English and other 35 languages.
Border meetings with Senegal cost hundreds of lives, and in August 1989 Senegal ended the diplomatic relations.
In July 1991, in a referendum, the Mauritania reintroduced the multi-party government and approved the deployment of a democratic government. The opposition had joined the United Democratic Front (FDU) and had, until the beginning of 1991, put pressure on the government to achieve precisely these steps, but the government’s only response had been to step up the repression. Despite the constitutional reform, social tensions in the country did not decrease. Instead, a period of extensive social agitation began, with strikes that a large part of the population participated in.
President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya regained his post at the first multi-party elections in January 1992, but the election was characterized by the opposition and numerous international observers as full of scams. Taya won with 63% of the vote over its main rival, Ahmed Ould Daddah. After the second round of elections in March, the ruling party PRDS had achieved the absolute majority in parliament with 67 out of 79 seats.
Six opposition groups boycotted the election and accused the government of fraud. In April, Mauritania resumed diplomatic relations with Senegal and Mali. This made it possible to resume negotiations on border audits and try to resolve the situation of Mauritanian refugees in both neighboring countries.
Financial assistance from China and France gave the Thai government new support. It would otherwise have lost much prestige due to accusations of fraud and to be responsible for the country’s difficult social situation. Tensions were further exacerbated by the implementation of a structural adjustment program designed by the IMF – especially in October, when prices for basic products were raised.
Demonstrations against the government’s crisis policy increased, and the police hit hard again. In early 1993, Interior Minister Ba Aliu Ibra Hasni Uld Dudi was forced to resign, and was replaced by a more moderate politician. In January 1994, the ruling party once again won the local elections, which the opposition termed fraud.
Population 1996
According to Countryaah.com, the population of Mauritania in 1996 was 2,313,519, ranking number 137 in the world. The population growth rate was 2.610% yearly, and the population density was 2.2447 people per km2.
