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Sub-Saharan Africa
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is often described as forming a "bridge", linking the Arab north of Africa with the sub-Saharan section of the continent.
In 1960 the former French colony gained its independence. During the decades that followed Mauritania experienced several political upheavals and attempted coups. In 2005 President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya, the dictator who had ruled the country for 21 years, was overthrown by the military. A democratisation process was launched. In 2007, when Sidi Mohamed Ould Sheikh Abdallahi took up the highest office of the state, he became its first freely and democratically elected president. Although he set political reforms in motion, he did not succeed in developing solutions to the country's huge economic and social problems. In 2008 the military once again mounted a coup, and installed General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in power.
In July 2009 the severe political crisis led to presidential elections, which were seen by international observers to be transparent and democratic. Abdel Aziz emerged as the winner of the election, having gained fifty-two per cent of the vote. The declared goals of his presidency are to reduce poverty and fight corruption.
The need for action is enormous. Mauritania is one of the least developed countries in the world. Eighty per cent of the country is desert; agriculture is only possible in the south in the Senegal valley – the Senegal being the only river in the country that bears water all year round. More than forty per cent of the population live in absolute poverty, and the illiteracy rate is correspondingly high. The education and health systems are in need of fundamental reform, as is public administration. On the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI 2010) Mauritania is ranked 136 out of 169 countries.
Recently the political agenda has focused not least on the struggle against Islamist terror. The terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) has carried out several attacks in Mauritania, claiming numerous human lives, and has pursued a policy of kidnapping European citizens.
Cooperation with Germany
Germany has been cooperating with Mauritania since the latter's declaration of independence in 1960. Although funds were frozen following the coup in 2008, cooperation was resumed in June 2010. The German support is highly regarded in Mauritania because it is considered needs-oriented, reliable and altruistic. The priority areas of Mauritanian-German Development cooperation are good governance and sustainable natural resource management.
The poor security situation is hampering work on the ground, however. The Federal Foreign Office has issued travel warnings for the key regions of German engagement, which are Guidimakha and Hodh el Garbi on the Malian border.
German Embassy

German Embassy in Mauritania
Rue Mamadou Konaté
Tevragh Zeina
Nouakchott
Mauritania
Phone: +222 / 45 25 17 29
Fax: +222 / 45 25 17 22






