When was mauritania founded

As politicians they declare, in , that they are the government-in-exile of a new independent state, the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic. Their provisional government, based in Algeria, wins recognition from some seventy nations. In the division of the Western Sahara after the departure of the Spanish, Morocco wins the northern two thirds the region which includes the phosphates.

Perhaps as a result of this, Mauritania opts out of the fighting and in makes peace with the Polisario. Morocco's response is to annexe the Mauritanian part of the territory.

The struggle therefore becomes a straight fight between the Moroccan forces and the Polisario. The Moroccans fortify the valuable areas against guerrilla intrusion. Eventually a peace is brokered in by the United Nations, leading to a ceasefire in The first president of independent Mauritania is Ould Daddah, who remains in power for eighteen years until toppled by a military coup in Thereafter, until , the country is ruled by a Military Committee for National Salvation.

After several army-appointed presidents, power is taken in by Colonel Ould Taya, who appoints himself president after a bloodless coup. In Taya announces an amnesty for political opponents, a referendum on a proposed constitution and elections for a reconvened senate and national assembly.

The constitution is approved in July The validly of the newly elected government is undermined by the fact that the main opposition group, the Union of Democratic Forces UDF , has boycotted the election. The same thing happens in the next parliamentary elections, in , when the UDF withdraws after the first round of voting - claiming government fraud in the electoral process.

The opposition parties similarly boycott the presidential election, in which Ould Taya is returned to power. Apart from the problems of establishing democracy, the country's main area of friction is between two ethnic groups - the majority in the north, of Arab and Berber descent a group which provides the ruling elite , and a minority of black Africans in the south.

Mauritania's claim to parts of the disputed territory of Western Sahara brought it into conflict with Polisario Front guerillas until a peace deal was struck in But the discovery and exploitation of oil and gas reserves on its Atlantic coast has raised hopes of future prosperity. Slavery was banned in , but the practice is still believed to be widespread. Mauritania is one of three Arab states to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

The country has recently become the target of terrorist activities. This article is more than 13 years old. Islamic republic has had repeated coups since independence from France in In , France established Mauritania as a colonial territory.