ABSTRACT

At Independence, Mauritania was seen as a link between North and South in the African continent. Yet, over four decades, Mauritania has evolved from the status of a national project viewed then with scepticism to one of being an institutionalised state. Its vocation as a frontier-state has often been reconsidered because its strategic and political circumstances have constantly evolved. Indeed, because it has been profoundly marked by its actual geographic location, the country has, in some analyses, been seen as an example of the outcome of difficult geopolitical circumstances. It can be no accident, for example, that its diplomacy is often summed up as a perpetual attempt to resolve the double perils of balkanisation and isolation. It is therefore appropriate to consider the roles of national evolution and frontier challenges in the birth and historic development of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. This article will begin by arguing that the political and geopolitical identity of Mauritania, whilst significantly affecting the domestic situation, cannot simply be seen as the outcome of a perpetual balance between North and South. Instead the relationships between the southern and northern frontiers should be seen as dynamic and complementary. They will be considered in terms of the histories of the frontiers themselves, their definition and their final determination. In fact, even if the history of the frontier with Black Africa is well-documented, it is often simplified by an erroneous interpretation of ethnicity and a more objective re-examination of this issue is necessary. In addition, the results of a recent study, carried out in 2002, on the Saharan regions of Mauritania will be discussed. It will describe the political transformations induced by current observable change in this northern frontier zone and their impact on Mauritanian politics and geopolitics. Such approaches should enable us to understand the nature of a frontier-state like Mauritania.