The Army and The Mauritanian Political System

Abstract

This study examines the role of the army in Mauritanian politics and the answer to the question: what will civil-military relations look like in the event of a transition to a democratic political system? The study focuses on the role of control and accountability in making the military institution accountable to the National Assembly in order to reduce its influence in political life, and on the importance of reforming it in order to strengthen the democratic transition in Mauritania. This study assumes that the reasons for the military intervention are due to the fact that the colonizer left no institutions, since France did not meet the requirements of the nascent Mauritanian state. The Mauritanian political system adopted democracy before the establishment of a strong state, with an institutional character that increased participation in political life. The study concludes that the difficult experience of working in Mauritania requires a great deal of time and patience, and that the country's chances of achieving a democratic transition are greater than before if the army is removed from the political process and competitive elections are held.