Mauritanian National Renaissance Party

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Mauritanian National Renaissance Party
Secretary-General Ahmed Baba Miské
Founded 25 September 1958 (25 September 1958)
Dissolved 4 October 1961 (4 October 1961)
Preceded by Mauritanian Regroupment Party
Succeeded by Mauritanian People's Party
Headquarters Nouakchott, Mauritania
Ideology Arab nationalism

Mauritanian National Renaissance Party (French : Parti de la Renaissance Nationale, Arabic : حزب النهضة الوطنية الموريتانية‎an-Nahda al-Wataniyya al-Mauritaniya (Nahda)) was an Arab nationalist political party in Mauritania from 1958 to 1961. It was led by Ahmed Baba Miské. [1]

French language Romance language

French is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the spoken Latin in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French (Francien) has largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the (Germanic) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to France's past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French.

Mauritania Islamic republic in Northwest Africa

Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa. It is the eleventh largest sovereign state in Africa and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north and northwest, Algeria to the northeast, Mali to the east and southeast, and Senegal to the southwest.

Ahmed Baba Miské was a Mauritanian politician, writer, diplomat and author of Lettre ouverte aux elites du Tiers-monde. He was a Mauritanian ambassador and Polisario Front member.

Contents

Foundation

In July 1958, two months after the Aleg Conference which founded the party, the Mauritanian Regroupment Party expelled Ahmed Baba Miské and other youth leaders from the party because of their vocal opposition to Mokhtar Ould Daddah. [2] meeting at Kaedi, where the party was formed on 25 September 1958. [2]

Mauritanian Regroupment Party was a political party in Mauritania from 1958 to 1961. Although nominally led by party President Sidi el-Mokhtar N'Diaye, it was de facto headed by Moktar Ould Daddah.

Ideology

Unlike the cautious conservatism espoused by the PRM, Nahda was more radical, and wanted immediate and total independence from France, and closer relations with Morocco. The demand for a closer relationship with Morocco was interpreted by some as support for the concept of Greater Morocco espoused by Allal al-Fassi, which would either be on the basis of a federation or a unitary state. [1]

Allal al-Fassi Moroccan politician and writer

Muhammad Allal al-Fassi, was a Moroccan politician, writer, poet and Islamic scholar.

Initially intended to unite the opposition to Daddah and the PRM, the Arab nationalist nature of Nahda worried many Mauritanians, especially Black African in Southern Mauritanian, who saw Arab nationalism as synonymous with Moorish domination. Nahda was able to attract a lot of support, including from Mauritanian businesses, and also financial support from Morocco. [1]

Decline

Factional infighting within Nahda and accusations of corruption exacerbated Nahda's decline, as it gave the PRM a pretext for banning all opposition activity, which it did so on the eve of the 1959 election. The PRM won every seat, and Nahda was left with no political or legal avenues to express opposition to the government. More radical members of the party, which was by now heavily fragmented, mounted a campaign of violence and civil unrest in Atar and Nouakchott in May 1960, including several bombings. [3] In response President Daddah placed five Nahda leaders, including Miske, in detention in the remote Hodh Ech Chargui Region. They were held there until February 1961, three months after independence. [4]

Atar, Mauritania Commune and town in Adrar Region, Mauritania

Atar is a town in northwestern Mauritania, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau. It is home to an airport, a museum and a historic mosque, constructed in 1674. In 2013 it had a population of 25,190.

Nouakchott Place in Mauritania

Nouakchott is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. It is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania.

Post-independence rapprochement

Following Mauritanian independence, party leaders recognized the need to consolidate to ensure the establishment of a strong and independent government that also represented Mauritania's regional and ethnic diversity. Consequently, there was a tendency on the part of some to try to put aside their differences. President Moktar Ould Daddah was able gradually to gain the support of numerous opposition parties because of his demonstrated willingness to include in his government those who previously had opposed him. Thus, even after Daddah charged the Mauritanian National Renaissance Party (Nahda) with corruption, banned the party from participation in the elections to Mauritania's first National Assembly in May 1959, declared the party illegal, and placed five of its leaders under arrest, Nahda still responded to Daddah's urgent appeal to preserve unity and independence. [5]

Moktar Ould Daddah Mauritanian politician

Moktar Ould Daddah was the President of Mauritania from 1960, when his country gained its independence from France, to 1978, when he was deposed in a military coup d'etat.

In a new election, held in accordance with provisions of the new constitution in August 1961, Nahda campaigned for Daddah, who won the election with the additional support of the black party, the Mauritanian National Union. The new government formed in September 1961 included representatives of both Nahda and the Mauritanian National Union in important ministries. This electoral, then governmental, coalition was formalized in October 1961 with the consolidation of the Mauritanian Regroupment Party, Nahda, the Mauritanian National Union, and the Mauritanian Muslim Socialist Union into the Mauritanian People's Party (Parti du Peuple Mauritanienne, PPM). On December 25, 1961, the PPM was constituted as the sole legal party. Its policies included a foreign policy of nonalignment and opposition to ties with France. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 33. ISBN   9780810830950.
  2. 1 2 Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 17. ISBN   9780810830950.
  3. ↑ Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 18. ISBN   9780810830950.
  4. ↑ Pazzanita, Anthony G (1996). Historical Dictionary of Mauritania (Second ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 34. ISBN   9780810830950.
  5. 1 2 Warner, Rachel. "Independence and civilian rule". In Handloff.
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