Mauritania slavery and dictatorship - Memo by FLAM in English

THE MEMORANDUM OF FLAM

 

The current situation in Mauritania is sufficient concern to all views, not to challenge the sincere patriots on the need to find solutions quickly.

This memorandum is in this framework.

 

STATE OF PLAY

 

 

Mauritanians in general are now faced with a dictatorial regime, ethno-political, racist, slave, a predatory regime, hostage of a clan that monopolizes and plundering the national resources, replacing a State which has ceased to exist.

They are faced with a harmful policy that exacerbates every day social tear, already deep between Arab-Berber and black Mauritanians.

With this system, two important issues undermine and dominate political life:

THE QUESTION OF "NATIONAL UNITY" structural issue, serious, long remained taboo and which still remains hidden;

THE QUESTION OF DEMOCRACY where today we are being faced with a perverted democracy and confiscated because of the impossible rotation imposed.

Since independence the issue of coexistence has continued to pose an acute, through recurrent crises (1966,1979,1986 / 1987,1989,1990 / 1991), digging deeper and deeper relations between communities, without its no objective response to him is made.

In recent years, it will even experience worsening unprecedented action by the regime.

It is time to learn from the past to look to the future.

Forty (40) years of ostrich policy on this issue, forty years of misunderstanding and refusal to listen, that's enough!

Enough, if we are serious about saving the country!

Mauritanians can not continue to make the economy without major risks. It is essential to the debate and try to find him, while there is still time, and just solutions.

And these solutions according to the FLAM pass through consultation. Mauritanians should discuss with confidence, well, without passion and especially without a priori.

This was the conclusion of the Manifesto of 1986, is that we reaffirm here again.

Given the acute internal crisis, it seemed imperative to invite politicians, consistent opposition in particular, to think and act quickly in a two-pronged approach:

Search all the ways and means of unity of action of the opposition is likely to create a balance of power that favors it.

Promote the same time a substantive discussion on key issues of national unity that engages the future of Mauritania, Democracy, with a view to creating a new dynamic for future changes to be based on a national unity reconstructed on a sustainable basis truer and healthier.

These are the reasons that led the Flames to bring here a number of responses around key issues, sensitive to the majority of politicians, on which, however, it must be that both groups speak out one day.

 

THE NATIONAL QUESTION

 

When we talk about national question, we refer most often to all the underlying issues related to racial discrimination, identity of Mauritania, autonomy. It is also the cultural issue, theft of land, liabilities humanitarian (Crimes and deportation of Mauritania), slavery ...

All these questions renvoint in fact the issue of coexistence between Arab-Berbers and black Africans euphemistically referred to most often under the term "problem of national unity" or the "National Question".

 

THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY

 

If we must recognize that the issue of slavery is alive and in fact in the minds of most Mauritanians, we must put it in behalf of the Administration who has never really worked for its eradication, for measures stringent legal and farms have never been taken against the advocates of this practice. It is unthinkable and unacceptable to the edge of the 3rd millennium, men can be considered as beasts of burden.

The victims, mostly Haratines should benefit both the support of the law, economic support and education.

The school of the future will help Mauritania to forge a new mentality and Far away from the slavery of the spirit of caste, facing the liberation of man and its promotion as a responsible citizen.

 

Cultural issues

 

Many observers, unsophisticated, tend to interpret the Negro-Mauritanian problem as a question essentially cultural. It is a mistake because the cultural issue is only part of the overall problem posed to national unity.

We must, we think he, seek a solution to this issue starting from the following basic principles:

No culture and no national language is inherently superior to other national languages and cultures;

At the school, the unification of the school system should be based on the place and the consideration to be given to Negro-African languages, in Arabic, next to the french.

THE LAND QUESTION

 

By the land reform of 1983 (Order numero83127du 05juin1983), the authorities would continue the gradual dispossession of black Mauritanians from their land.

To overcome the resistance of the people opposed to this reform rogue, Ould Taya's regime would benefit from the events between Senegal and Mauritania in 1989, to carry out massive and unprecedented plunder and deport tens of thousands of black Mauritanian owners to Senegal and Mali.C is unacceptable.

The solution to the problem of land redistribution to be found in the implementation of agrarian reform to national character, which would proceed by concentric circles. The access to the land first to the local Aboriginal, then to nationals, investors finally sub-regional and international, in the preservation of secular rights of pastoralists, fishermen and farmers.

 

LIABILITIES HUMANITARIAN

 

This is a euphemism used by those out there who are reluctant to talk about the deportations and crimes against black Mauritanians. The crimes committed between 1986-1991 must not go unpunished under penalty of undermining the very foundations of community life.

The soultion to the issue of these crimes must be sought in the balance between the need of forgiveness, the rejection of impunity and repair requirements.

Regarding the refugees, they should be resettled in réhabiltés and all their rights.

This would be a mistake to believe that repair of crimes and deportations sufficient in themselves to ensure réconciliation.Non, it takes more, thanks to a package boldest, own created a climate of appeasement social.Il will, in addition to conduct a full and complete amnesty for former prisoners and political exiles to return to the officials arbitrarily removed, lift the state of siege in the valley to set up a truth commission / reconciliation.

These are measures that will create optimal conditions for healing to begin the discussion clean, because you have débattre.LE PROBLEM Mauritania is first and foremost a political problem before a problem of human rights violations Man.

It should therefore discuss, engage a broad and inclusive.

 

THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY OF MAURITANIA

 

All these questions that we have reviewed renvoint in fact the root cause, the identity of Mauritania. Mauritania is it or should it be Arab or Black African?

In truth, Mauritania, to be viable, must keep a balance between its Arabic and black African character. It should be a link between the black world and the Arab world. Well managed, this diversity could be an invaluable resource for all.

 

THE QUESTION OF AUTONOMY

The best way to capitalize on this wealth would be necessary to review the coexistence between the communities, after a failed experience of more than three decades. This coexistence will now rest on the basis of autonomy like the Belgian model or South africain.Cette proposed solution seems relevant in several respects:

Historically we know that many African Empires were formed from kingdoms annexed but not unstructured;

Currently, autonomy is a dominant mode of payment, in both Africa and Europe, problems of cohabitation;

Finally it does not necessarily conflict with the objectives of nation building.

In any case, it is essential that communities take over the management of their land and shape for this purpose their own institutions while preserving the LINKS UNIT.

In any case, the centralized unitary state, unless it is overhauled with a view to an equitable balance in the management of political power, can not meet the expectations expressed recently.

THE QUESTION OF DEMOCRACY

 

The beginning of the "democratic process" in Mauritania was as elsewhere in Africa, inspired and "forced" by the speech of La Baule.

But then less than elsewhere, it will just permit the formal existence of political parties, nothing more. Our "Democracy" will be allowed above a dictatorial military regime to give itself a guarantee of legitimacy, without fundamentally changing its nature. That it would be naive on the part of the opposition to hope for the respect of fundamental freedoms, or free and fair elections.

With this military regime clan it would be unrealistic to expect a possible alternative.

What seeks on the contrary it is rather Ould Taya expand its presidential movement, domesticate consciences like the single parties of yesteryear.

 

In addition, another weakness-"Democracy" established by Ould Taya was grafted on an "unresolved humanitarian" situation still pending and open policy of racial discrimination, it has deliberately obscured and hidden.

Or a genuine democratization can not build on this foundation.

That's why we can not give him any credit.

Faced with a process of "democratic" biased and should be confiscated to respond, not by the tacit adherence to the status quo ante rather favorable to the plan, but determined by the choice of a strategy and offensive methods, specific hasten the change.

CHANGE whose lines of force would be the NATIONAL RECONCILIATION car Mauritanians first need to reconcile-, a national debate and finally REHABILITATION AND CONSOLIDATION PROCESS for the free exercise of the democratic game in terms of transparency required , all controlled by a government of national unity for the transitional period.

 

CONCLUSION

 

There is still time to build in the best interest of all a democratic, egalitarian and freedom: a state founded on the basis of abiding public good, equal in rights and duties regardless of race or tribe. THE FLAM are appealing to all progressive political forces in Mauritania, to engage in debate without delay to the building of a genuine rule of law, which would be forever banned slavery, racism, the exclusion and poverty.

Made in Dakar, March 21, 2000

 

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