Francophone Africa in Flux: Mauritania’s Stalled Democratization

Issue Date July 2001
Volume 12
Issue 3
Page Numbers 88-95
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Contrary to the widespread perception that Mauritania has moved toward democracy, this troubled country faces continued ethnic tensions and the prospect of increasing repression.

About the Author

Boubacar N’Diaye, a former high-level civil servant in Mauritania, currently teaches black studies and political science at the College of Wooster in Ohio. His most recent scholarly works deal with civil-military relations in Africa, democratization prospects, human rights, and pan-Africanism. He is author of The Challenge of Institutionalizing Civilian Control (2001).

View all work by Boubacar N'Diaye

Further Reading

Volume 9, Issue 2

African Ambiguities: The Rebirth of African Liberalism

Volume 18, Issue 3

The Democracy Barometers (Part I): Formal versus Informal Institutions in Africa

Survey data indicate that Africans support democracy and its formal institutions, but also point to the importance of the informal realm, particularly when formal institutions fail to meet popular expectations.

Volume 27, Issue 1

Ethiopia: Silencing Dissent

Ethiopia’s ruling party has long been tightening its grip, using antiterrorism laws and harsh restrictions on media and civil society to silence voices critical of the regime.