With my tour in Mauritania over, I have had some time to digest my experiences, and figured this would be a good opportunity to write about my thoughts and impressions of the country while it is still fresh. I want to be clear, as with every post on this blog, the thoughts here are my own, and in no way, shape, or form reflect any official stance from the U.S. Government.
Mauritania in my brain is a huge mixed bag. I really enjoyed my time there, but it wasn’t without its big and small frustrations. Mauritania on the whole is at an interesting crossroads. It is one of the last countries in the Sahel and French West Africa that has not had a coup in the last couple of years, has had recently peaceful transitions of power, has a western leaning government, and plays nice with its neighbors. With a presidential election coming in a matter of weeks, the hope is this remains true. It has been surprisingly stable (knock on wood).
But the word “stable” has my mind drifting to other aspects of governance. Probably 90% of roads in the capital Nouakchott are unpaved. There is no public infrastructure. Policemen stand at intersections staring at their phones while countless cars run red lights (if they have power) with no respect for the law (if such a law exists). Traffic is a constant test between everyone to see who can be a more selfish driver. Standing in line at stores or restaurants reveals a society with little regard for etiquette, where cutting in line is the norm and many people think they’re above waiting in a line. Beggars line the streets at intersections, aggressively requesting handouts at all times of day. Crippled people literally can be seen crawling on the streets, dodging traffic in hopes of a small handout. It’s truthfully exhausting in a way that you are always feeling bad for people.
These scenes go a long way in painting a picture of governance that is vacant here, but very prominent in neighboring countries. If you look at GDP levels in Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Morocco, and other regional countries in this part of Africa, Mauritania is at a similar level, but from a governance and infrastructure perspective, falls woefully behind. I remember the first time I went to Senegal, and was blown away by just how much more developed it was. Similar per capita income, and Senegal has an ever larger population to manage, but you can readily see how much more they invest in infrastructure, and as a result, the private sector heavily invests in the country as well. While not earth shattering or perfect (especially with them pushing back elections this year), the pictures below paint a small picture as to how much further along Senegal is than Mauritania.
In the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott, western conveniences basically don’t exist. In 2022 a local opened an official franchise of the famous French bakery, Boulangerie Paul, and next year a Sheraton will be opening a mile away from the U.S. Embassy. Grocery stores basically will choose to import Spanish, French, or Moroccan goods, and mark them up 2-3 times what you would pay in their home country. Pretty much nothing is produced locally. I say this not argue that chain stores are great, but to point out that foreign investment remains minimal, and the few nuggets of investment in this country are usually from Mauritanians that have been abroad and want to improve things.
Looking at the history of Mauritania sort of paints the picture as to why these conditions exist. Until independence, Mauritania was never really its own entity in French West Africa, always being governed from Senegal until achieving independence in 1960. The French were well known for establishing functioning capital cities in their formal colonies (often to the detriment of the rest of the territory), but with Mauritania never being a truly independent colony in its own right, no such place exists. As a result, Nouakchott sprung up from nothing in the 1960’s without any real central planning or thought to infrastructure.
When you think of the historically nomadic population of Mauritania, which remains fairly nomadic, it makes sense why there hasn’t been a ton of effort to make this a grand centralized capital. Alliances in politics are often made based on tribal history or ethnic lines, and much less dependent on political party. Even the wealthiest Mauritanians that might have a grand house in Nouakchott will have their land and base somewhere in the heart of the Sahara that they consider their true “home”. The impetus to rapidly develop isn’t there for a lot of people that prefer a very simple way of life in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert. While a national identity does exist, it’s nowhere near as strong as Americans might feel about their own country, or even our home states. Tribe trumps all.
All that said, Mauritania and their current government do indeed seem to have an eye toward infrastructure development and private sector growth. They have been a large recipient of the Chinese Road and Belt Initiative, the Millennium Challenge Corporation is poised to invest heavily in Mauritania, and as private companies see a stable country in the Sahel with a large port and plenty of natural resources (coastal oil and internal mineral wealth), it is only a matter of time before we start seeing a boom of development in the country. There are also good people living there, doing good work that want to see their country be successful. I believe if the political stability can be maintained, Mauritania will become of beacon of growth and development for the Sahel region and West Africa.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Mauritania and am grateful to have had my first tour in the Foreign Service there. For one, it has showed me just how important the work we do abroad is, in a way I likely wouldn’t have experienced living in places like Japan or the U.K. It has also set a foundation of what a good tour can be even in some of the most austere environments on earth. I feel like if my family can thrive there, we can thrive anywhere. Mauritania is a complex place, but on the whole I will always look at it fondly. -Nick
