The Paradoxical Progression of Democracy in Mauritania
Mauritania's political system displays certain democratic qualities that go some way to meeting international standards.
However, this veneer is too thin to conceal its recurrent electoral irregularities and, most importantly, the presence of a hegemonic faction that controls the country. The governing party and the economic interests it represents ensure that resources are reallocated so as to perpetuate the scarcity economy.
Alain Antil is Head of Ifri's Sub-Saharan Africa Program.
Article published in Politique étrangère, Vol. 84, No. 2, Summer 2019