Genocide in Mauritania’s Armed Forces
Mauritania is protecting this man. he executed more than 300 black soldiers.
Ould Maguett: The Symbol of Impunity
Genocide in mauritania
Genocide is defined by the United Nations in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as specific acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. These acts include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction, imposing measures to prevent births, and forcibly transferring children to another group. Genocide is distinguished by its intent to eliminate an entire group based on identity, making it one of the most serious crimes under international law.
Ethnic cleansing and enforced disappearance are also grave human rights violations often linked to genocide. Ethnic cleansing refers to the forced removal of an ethnic or religious group from a specific territory, involving mass expulsion, forced displacement, and systematic attacks on civilians, including murder, rape, and destruction of property.
Enforced disappearance occurs when individuals are abducted or detained by state or armed groups, followed by the refusal to acknowledge their fate or whereabouts. Enforced disappearance is used to silence opposition, instill fear, and erase communities, often leaving families without answers. The UN considers all these acts severe crimes that violate fundamental human rights and require international accountability.
Exposing Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in Mauritania
If Mauritania denies our statement, we ask them to provide evidence of the alleged guilt or accusations against our fathers. We demand transparency and answers to critical questions: Why did Mauritania pass the Amnesty Law 93.23 on June 14, 1993, shielding perpetrators from accountability?
Where are the official accusations and the evidence to support them?
Where are our fathers buried?
What law in Mauritania permits incommunicado detention, torture and extrajudicial executions?
Where are the mass graves located?
These heinous acts were targeted exclusively at Black Mauritanian soldiers Fulanis, Wolof, and Soninke; none of whom were Arab. This systematic targeting based on ethnicity aligns precisely with the U.N. definition of genocide: an attempt to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group through killings, torture, and forced disappearances.
Executions and Disappearances in Mauritania
The 1990-1991 Massacres remain one of the darkest chapters in Mauritania’s history, during which 500 to 600 Black soldiers prisoners were systematically executed or tortured to death between November 1990 and April 1991. This state-sponsored campaign, carried out under the pretense of suppressing an alleged coup attempt, targeted Black Mauritanians, especially military personnel, and civilians. Approximately 3,000 soldiers were arrested, held incommunicado, and subjected to horrific torture designed to extract false confessions or implicate others. The wave of arrests began in October 1990 and intensified into early 1991, initially focusing on Black soldiers but quickly expanding to entire communities, creating an atmosphere of pervasive fear and terror.
This brutal crackdown devastated Mauritania’s Black population, instilling a legacy of fear and repression. Families were torn apart as detainees vanished without a trace, and survivors bore the scars of physical and psychological torment. A refugee described the widespread anxiety, recounting how people slept fully clothed, fearing midnight arrests. The Mauritanian government’s refusal to acknowledge these atrocities, coupled with the enactment of Amnesty Law 93.23, has perpetuated a culture of impunity. The lasting impact of these events underscores the urgent need for justice, accountability, and systemic reforms to address the deep-rooted racial injustices that continue to shape Mauritania’s history.
Emergence of Atrocities
Survivors recounted harrowing tales of their companions’ fates—many had been executed or tortured to death. Those who lived were often left crippled, paralyzed, or permanently disfigured by the severe abuse they endured. Some even died after their release due to the lingering effects of torture. The victims, overwhelmingly Black military personnel, primarily from the Halpulaar ethnic group, were targeted by the regime, which viewed them as a threat to the entrenched Arab-Berber dominance. These crimes underscored the systematic racial violence carried out under the guise of suppressing an alleged coup attempt.
Despite clear evidence implicating high-ranking officials, the Mauritanian government has consistently denied responsibility, refusing to allow independent investigations. In June 1993, it passed the notorious Amnesty Law 93.23, granting immunity to military and security personnel for crimes committed between April 1989 and April 1992. This law cemented a culture of impunity, shielding perpetrators from accountability and silencing survivors and victims’ families. The regime justified its actions by accusing Senegal of backing the alleged coup, a claim widely dismissed by observers as a fabrication to justify the suppression of Mauritania’s Black population.
As one Mauritanian refugee described:
“During the arrests, no Black person felt safe. Many went to bed fully dressed, fearing they might be taken in the middle of the night. My cousin was arrested in his pajamas, without even having time to put on shoes. When someone left the house and didn’t return, it was clear they had been arrested.”
The Mauritanian government attempted to justify these arrests by accusing Senegal of backing the alleged coup a claim vehemently denied by Senegal. Observers widely regarded the coup allegations as a fabrication aimed at suppressing Black Mauritanians and consolidating Beidane control.
We are all victimsUnimaginable Brutality
The mass arrests overwhelmed detention facilities, forcing authorities to repurpose military barracks, police stations, and even private buildings into makeshift prisons. Among the most infamous detention sites was the Jereida military barracks, about 30 kilometers north of Nouakchott. According to a Black Mauritanian soldier stationed there, Cheikh Fall, detainees were subjected to:
- Overcrowded cells, where up to 14 prisoners were crammed into spaces of less than 2 square meters.
- Lack of basic hygiene, with detainees forced to relieve themselves in their cells and eat contaminated food.
- Continuous beatings, often during interrogations.
Fall testified to witnessing detainees arriving at Jereida in horrific condition:
“The Black detainees arrived in armored trucks, in a pitiful state. Many came from far away, naked, with their hands tied behind their backs and their feet shackled. Some hadn’t eaten for days and bore visible wounds from torture. At least one officer and two soldiers died en route to the camp.”
At Inal barracks, the conditions were even worse. Survivors described being:
- Tied and beaten continuously, with guards urinating on them.
- Forced to witness or participate in the execution of fellow detainees.
- Deprived of basic human dignity, enduring insults such as, “You will all disappear. We will kill every Black in Mauritania, and only children will remain to be Arabized.”
Torture as a Tool of Oppression
In all detention centers, torture was systematically used to extract confessions. Survivors recounted methods that included:
- The “Jaguar” technique, where detainees were suspended by their wrists and ankles from a bar, beaten, and spun around.
- Simulated executions, designed to break detainees’ resolve.
- Burning, including cigarettes pressed to prisoners’ faces and bodies.
- Burial up to the neck in sand, leaving detainees exposed to extreme heat or cold.
- Beatings to the genitals, often resulting in permanent damage.
One survivor, Lieutenant Diagana, recalled:
“They beat me everywhere, including my genitals. They tied me so tightly that I still have scars. When you regained consciousness after fainting from the pain, they would say, ‘Talk, or we’ll start again.’ Most detainees confessed to things they hadn’t done just to stop the torture.”
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”
James Baldwin
Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya
We are all victimsMass Executions
Perhaps the most horrifying moment came on November 28, 1990, Mauritania’s Independence Day, when 28 Black soldiers were hanged at Inal barracks as part of a grim celebration. Survivors described the chilling scene:
- Detainees were lined up in rows, with 30 executed in a single night.
- The executions were public, intended to intimidate and dehumanize.
One survivor recounted the chilling words of the guards: “This is just the beginning. Soon, no Blacks will remain in Mauritania.”
The Legacy of the Massacres
The 1990-1991 massacres remain one of the darkest chapters in Mauritanian history, a calculated campaign to terrorize and marginalize Black communities. The Amnesty Law 93.23 has ensured decades of impunity, allowing many perpetrators to remain in positions of power, including Mohamed Ould Meguett, who now serves as President of the National Assembly despite allegations of his involvement in the killings at Inal.
The survivors and families of victims continue to demand justice, refusing to let these crimes be forgotten. Their struggle underscores the urgent need for accountability and the repeal of laws that shield perpetrators from prosecution.
Beyond accountability, the government must implement systemic reforms to protect the rights of all citizens, irrespective of ethnicity. Creating an inclusive and just society will require more than symbolic gestures; it will demand the dismantling of entrenched discriminatory practices and the fostering of an environment where all Mauritanians can live without fear of persecution.