A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This article continues our salute to the independence anniversary of African nations. This acknowledges our respect and appreciation of our brothers and sisters among us as we work together to build better lives.
Mauritania, home to Amazigh, Bafour, Haratine, White Moor (Beydane), and Sub-Saharan Black African communities, has long been shaped by complex social hierarchies and deep cultural diversity. Mauritania gained its independence from France in 1960 after decades of colonial rule that began in the early 1900s. As anti-colonial movements spread across Africa in the 1950s, Mauritanian leaders pushed for political autonomy through negotiations rather than armed conflict. The territory gradually built local governmental structures, giving Mauritanian officials more control over internal affairs. Coups, military rule, and limited political freedoms dominated national life, slowing the development of democratic institutions.
In 1960, France formally recognized Mauritania as an independent nation, and Moktar Ould Daddah became the country’s first president. Independence also meant balancing internal challenges—unifying diverse ethnic groups, defining national identity, and establishing stable institutions. While challenges persist — including ongoing efforts to eradicate hereditary slavery, which was outlawed in 1981 and criminalized in 2007 — Mauritania is slowly forging a more democratic path.
Source(s): CIA World Factbook, Brittanica, and the Washington Post