TheMauritanian government says it is trying to increase prosecutions ofrape cases but poorly trained judges working with murky, outdated legaltexts...

MAURITANIA: After one year in power, democratic president gets vote of confidence

President Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Cheikh took office as Mauritania’s first democratically elected civilian president in 47 years one year ago on...

Kadiata Malick Diallo, Mauritania, “Our ultimate goal is equality”

Kadiata Malick Diallo is vice-president of the Union of Forces for Progress (UFP) and a deputy in Mauritania’s National Assembly. She spoke to IRIN...

MAURITANIA: Moves towards political empowerment for women

Mauritania is often held up as a beacon when it comes to the proportion of women elected to political office - a 20 percent minimum quota was...

MAURITANIA: Tourism industry suffers financial fallout after spate of attacks

Mauritania is facing financial fallout in the wake of three terrorist-related attacks between December and February, with the cancellation of the...

MAURITANIA: Struggling to cope in pre-harvest “lean season”

Ali Sambadga showed IRIN the contents of his village grain bank - there are just two tonnes of maize left to help thousands of villagers stave off...

MAURITANIA: Record hunger predicted in 2008

Food security experts predict that Mauritania, where 70 percent of food eaten is imported, may face its highest ever levels of hunger in 2008, and...

MAURITANIA: "We are happy to welcome back our brothers and sisters"

Yacoub Diop is a former police officer and the current chief of Medina Salam, a village on the Senegal River in southern Mauritania, which recently...

MAURITANIA-SENEGAL: First refugees returning from Senegal get mixed welcome

As Mauritanian refugees started their historic voyage from Senegal today, some Mauritanians said they feared the return would only burden the country...

more news »