African Liberation Forces of Mauritania
Encyclopedia
The African Liberation Forces of Mauritania is an exile
d paramilitary
organization for the Black African majority in Arab
o-Berber
minority Mauritania
.
. The group endorsed, but did not initiate, a violent overthrow of the regime, and was quickly outlawed. In 1986, it published the Manifesto of the oppressed black Mauritanian
, which detailed government discrimination, and demanded the overthrow of the "Beidane System" (Beidane is an Arabic language
-appellation for the Arabophone Moorish elite). Acting as an underground movement in Mauritania, with its main areas of strength in the southern areas of the country (bordering Senegal and Mauritania), and especially among the halpulaar
population, FLAM's leadership was headquartered in Dakar
and Paris
. It remained committed to destroying the "Beidane System", accusing Mauritania's Moorish-dominated governments of instituting a form of "apartheid", and engaged in sporadic, small-scale guerrilla operations in the south of the country.
increased to a peak in April 1989, when a border dispute with southern neighbor Senegal
led to widespread ethnic violence
in the racially mixed border areas, as well as a collapse in bilateral relations and intermittent military skirmishing between the two countries. In these so-called "1989 events", tens of thousands of Black Mauritanians (mostly of the halpulaar minority) were forced across the Senegal River
; Moors in Senegal fled the opposite way. FLAM received and organized the Mauritanian refugees in Senegal, which bolstered the strength of the movement. With Senegalese backing, the movement intensified its armed struggle with continuous cross-border raids in the Senegal river
valley. Violence would not dissipate until 1991-92. Most of the refugees subsequently returned, but over 25,000 Black Mauritanian refugees remained in Senegal
, and the events made a lasting mark not only on Mauritanian-Senegalese relations, but also on race relations within Mauritania.
of Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
in August 2005, the transitional junta
stated that the coming elected government would handle the question of resettlement of the refugees once in power. In anticipation of the promised changes, a reformist wing of the FLAM (FLAM-Renovation) split off from the main organization to participate in Mauritania's political transition. The main branch of FLAM has not returned to the country, awaiting settlement of outstanding issues which would, in its view, allow it to play a meaningful part in the political process. The government of Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
, elected in 2007, began preparations to receive the remaining refugees with UNHCR assistance during the summer of that year.
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization for the Black African majority in Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
o-Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
minority Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
.
Foundation
FLAM was founded in 1983 as tensions had increased between the two ethnicities following severe political instability and a controversial land reform enacted under Col. Mohamed Khouna Ould Heidalla's military governmentMilitary Committee for National Salvation
The Military Committee for National Salvation was a military government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania that took power in 1979. It was installed by Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, Ahmed Ould Bouceif and fellow officers, in an internal regime/military coup d'état on April 6, 1979, removing Col...
. The group endorsed, but did not initiate, a violent overthrow of the regime, and was quickly outlawed. In 1986, it published the Manifesto of the oppressed black Mauritanian
Manifesto of the Oppressed Black Mauritanian
The Manifesto of the Oppressed Black Mauritanian was published in April, 1986 by the African Liberation Forces of Mauritania, a paramilitary group which promoted the rights of the oppressed Black African majority by Arabo-Berber minority in Mauritania. The manifesto details the racial...
, which detailed government discrimination, and demanded the overthrow of the "Beidane System" (Beidane is an Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
-appellation for the Arabophone Moorish elite). Acting as an underground movement in Mauritania, with its main areas of strength in the southern areas of the country (bordering Senegal and Mauritania), and especially among the halpulaar
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
population, FLAM's leadership was headquartered in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It remained committed to destroying the "Beidane System", accusing Mauritania's Moorish-dominated governments of instituting a form of "apartheid", and engaged in sporadic, small-scale guerrilla operations in the south of the country.
1989 events
Tensions between the group and Heidalla's successor Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TayaMaaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , was Prime Minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 1984 and president from 1984 to 2005. He guided Mauritania from military rule to democracy, and took a pro-Western stance in foreign affairs...
increased to a peak in April 1989, when a border dispute with southern neighbor Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
led to widespread ethnic violence
Ethnic violence
Ethnic violence refers to violence expressly motivated by ethnic hatred...
in the racially mixed border areas, as well as a collapse in bilateral relations and intermittent military skirmishing between the two countries. In these so-called "1989 events", tens of thousands of Black Mauritanians (mostly of the halpulaar minority) were forced across the Senegal River
Sénégal River
The Sénégal River is a long river in West Africa that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania.The Sénégal's headwaters are the Semefé and Bafing rivers which both originate in Guinea; they form a small part of the Guinean-Malian border before coming together at Bafoulabé in Mali...
; Moors in Senegal fled the opposite way. FLAM received and organized the Mauritanian refugees in Senegal, which bolstered the strength of the movement. With Senegalese backing, the movement intensified its armed struggle with continuous cross-border raids in the Senegal river
Sénégal River
The Sénégal River is a long river in West Africa that forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania.The Sénégal's headwaters are the Semefé and Bafing rivers which both originate in Guinea; they form a small part of the Guinean-Malian border before coming together at Bafoulabé in Mali...
valley. Violence would not dissipate until 1991-92. Most of the refugees subsequently returned, but over 25,000 Black Mauritanian refugees remained in Senegal
Mauritanians in Senegal
There is a large community of Mauritanians in Senegal, including tens of thousands of black Mauritanians expelled by their own government during a 1989 border incident.-Migration history:...
, and the events made a lasting mark not only on Mauritanian-Senegalese relations, but also on race relations within Mauritania.
After the 2005 transition
Following the coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
Ely Ould Mohamed Vall
Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall is a political and military figure in Mauritania. He served as the transitional military leader of Mauritania following a coup d'état in August 2005 until 19 April 2007, when he relinquished power to an elected government....
in August 2005, the transitional junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
stated that the coming elected government would handle the question of resettlement of the refugees once in power. In anticipation of the promised changes, a reformist wing of the FLAM (FLAM-Renovation) split off from the main organization to participate in Mauritania's political transition. The main branch of FLAM has not returned to the country, awaiting settlement of outstanding issues which would, in its view, allow it to play a meaningful part in the political process. The government of Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is a Mauritanian politician. He served in the government during the 1970s, and after a long period of absence from politics he won the March 2007 presidential election, taking office on 19 April 2007...
, elected in 2007, began preparations to receive the remaining refugees with UNHCR assistance during the summer of that year.
Further reading
- Lance Kinne, "The Benefits of Exile: The Case of FLAM", The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 39, No. 4. (Dec., 2001), pp. 597-621.
External links
- FLAM Official Site (in French)
- FLAM Official English-language US site
- FLAM Radio (Windows Media PlayerWindows Media PlayerWindows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
required)
- FLAM Radio (Windows Media Player