AFRO-MAURITANIAN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ON THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000279

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID MR
SUBJECT: AFRO-MAURITANIAN POLITICAL PARTICIPATION ON THE
RISE; AMBASSADOR'S TRIP TO NORTHERN SENEGAL PRAISED,
QUESTIONED

REF: A. NOUAKCHOTT 87


B. DAKAR 249

Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)

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(C) Key Points
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-- FLAM-Reform, a breakaway wing of the exiled
Afro-Mauritanian opposition group FLAM, has called on the
government to address the plight of the estimated 20,000
Afro-Mauritanians refugees living in Senegal and Mali.

-- On the eve of Fal's March 6 visit to Dakar, a FLAM-Reform
spokesman called on the transitional government to solve the
refugee problem, saying that "Fal's transition will utterly
fail if it does not tackle this question."

-- FLAM-Reform's actions are part of a larger trend of
increased Afro-Mauritanian participation in the political
process.

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(C) Comments
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-- FLAM-Reform's decision to break away, to pursue active
engagement in the Mauritanian political transition, and to
call on the transitional government to organize the return of
refugees came only two weeks after the Ambassador's fact
finding trip to refugee camps in Northern Senegal (ref A).

-- The Ambassador's trip is still resonating, both in press
coverage and discussions on the street, more than a month
later. Afro-Mauritanians have expressed appreciation while
the largely Arab-controlled press coverage have questioned
the trip's motivations and either directly or indirectly
accused the U.S. of hypocrisy in its position, noting its
supposed past strong support of the Taya government -- the
government responsible for the 1989 events and the ongoing
refugee situation.

-- Soon after the Ambassador's trip, Afro-Mauritanian refugee
leaders in Senegal sent a private message to Ambassador
expressing their desire to collectively return to Mauritania
and to credit such a return to the Ambassador. The
Ambassador sent a private reply that he did not want credit
for such a return; instead he wanted the refugee leaders, and
Afro-Mauritanians generally, to participate actively in the
transition to democracy underway in Mauritania.

End Key Points and Comments.


1. (U) A breakaway wing of the exiled Afro-Mauritanian
opposition group, African Liberation Forces of Mauritania
(FLAM),has called on the Mauritanian transitional government
to address the plight of the estimated 20,000
Afro-Mauritanians refugees living in Senegal and Mali. The
refugees fled south between 1989 and 1991 -- a period
referred to as the 1989 events -- to escape ethnic violence.


2. (U) In advance of Fal's visit to Dakar March 6, the
breakaway group -- FLAM-Reform -- held a press conference
March 2 in which it called on the Mauritanian government to
prepare an organized return for the remaining refugees,
including remuneration and the return of lost lands.
Responding to earlier statements made by Colonel Fal that the
refugee issue should be resolved by the coming democratically
elected government, FLAM-Reform spokesman Souleye Oumar Ba
said "an exceptional problem such as this can be resolved
only by a government of exception," adding that "Fal's
transition will utterly fail if it does not tackle this
question."


3. (U) According to Ba, FLAM-Reform decided to split from
FLAM because many of its members believed the August 3 coup
and subsequent election planning provided a real opportunity
for change. He said that in contrast with FLAM's membership,
FLAM-Reform members wanted to take an active role in the

NOUAKCHOTT 00000279 002 OF 002


transition. Ba said the seeds for the split were planted at
FLAM's sixth congress which took place in Cincinnati, Ohio in
December 2005, when according to Ba many members started
looking for "a more realistic approach" to engaging with the
current government. Ba said that all opposition groups
should participate in the transition, and called the current
government's effort "a huge step forward," and said there was
"a new climate, marked by freedom of expression, in
Mauritania."

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A SIGN OF THE TIMES
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4. (C) FLAM-Reform's actions are part of a larger trend of
increased Afro-Mauritanian participation in the political
process. Afro-Mauritanian's -- which constitute more than a
third of the population but have historically been excluded
from positions of influence by the Arab-Moor power-base --
have begun forming political coalitions and developing
platforms focusing on Afro-Mauritanian issues.


5. (C) At the same time, FLAM's split highlights the
continued struggle of Afro-Mauritanian political actors to
define themselves. These groups are constantly forming,
splintering and in some cases dissolving. The political
party coalition, Bloc for Change -- which includes two of the
four government-recognized Afro-Mauritanian political parties
-- has lost half of its parties, while the two main
Afro-Mauritanian parties -- Popular Progressive Alliance and
the Alliance for Justice and Democracy -- argue publicly over
the best collective strategy for the Afro-Mauritanian
community.

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VISIT TO CAMPS BOLSTERS AFRO-MAURITANIAN REFUGEE ISSUE
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6. (C) The Ambassador's fact finding trip to refugee camps in
Northern Senegal in late January (ref A) is still resonating,
both in press coverage and discussions on the street, more
than a month later. Afro-Mauritanians expressed appreciation
-- both in Senegal and Mauritania -- for the Ambassador's
focus on the issue. In the March 7 edition of the
afro-Mauritanian weekly "Le Renovateur", a reporter said many
consider the Ambassador's trip to be the only positive step
domestically or internationally toward resolving the refugee
issues. However, the largely Arab-controlled press coverage
questioned the trip's motivations and either directly or
indirectly accused the U.S. of hypocrisy in its position,
noting its supposed past strong support of the Taya
government -- the government responsible for the 1989 events
and the ongoing refugee situation.


7. (C) Following the Ambassador's trip, Afro-Mauritanian
refugee leaders sent a private message to Ambassador
expressing their desire to collectively return to Mauritania
and to credit such a return to the Ambassador. The
Ambassador sent a private reply that he did not want credit
for such a return; instead he wanted the refugee leaders, and
Afro-Mauritanians generally, to participate actively in the
transition to democracy underway in Mauritania.
LeBaron