The Muslim religion is the unifying feature of Mauritanian culture and society which, however, presents notable differences in other aspects. To fully understand the extent of Islam’s role in the country, we must start from the decision taken in 1958 when it was not yet independent, to define itself as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.…

The presidential elections, scheduled for June 22, constitute a test for the Mauritanian political system. The outgoing president, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, elected for the first time in 2019, is widely expected to win. The majority parties have designated him as their candidate ever since the announcement of the elections last December by the Independent National…

Nouakchott has not suffered large-scale attacks for 12 years. There are three reasons: collaboration with neighbouring countries, the intervention of religious authorities and having “institutionalised” the demands of Islamist parties and movements. The Sahel is an endemically poor region and Mauritania struggled significantly after independence, to achieve economic development that lived up to expectations. Over…

The government is focusing on green hydrogen to diversify the rapidly growing economy, aiming for growth in the renewable energy sector. The country is among those most suffering from the climate crisis with increasingly frequent and destructive floods and longer periods of drought. On the one hand, the prospect of becoming Africa’s third largest gas…