Mauritania -A Policy Proposal Exercise

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T HE W HITE H OUSE

CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM

2 November, 2005

TO : The President of the United States

C OPY :Secretary of StateSecretary of Defence

Ambassador Joseph E. LebaronMr. Stephen Hadley

SUBJECT : Post-Coup US-Mauritania Relationship

E XECUTIVE SUMMARY

Following the August 2005 deposition of former President Maaouiya Ould Tayaa

by Colonel Ould Mohamed Vall and the Military Council for Justice and Democracy

(M.C.J.D.), the United States withdrew strategic military assets from Mauritania and

scaled down diplomatic relations with its government. Ongoing Embassy-Nouakchott

communications emphasize the United States interest in Mauritanias stability and

continued non-violence.

International and regional terrorist organizations threaten Mauritanian and West

African stability. Underdevelopment leaves Mauritanias government, private sector and

civil society vulnerable to corruption, instability and extremism. Mauritanias predicted

emergence as a major producer of petroleum * beginning in early 2006 and increased

* Mauritania first granted permission for deep-water (2,500-3,500 m. deep) offshore oilexploration in 2000 and five significant fields have been discovered since 2001. Morethan forty wells are ready for extraction. The Chinguetti oil-field will begin productionof 75,000 barrels per day in February 2006 and will yield an estimated $7 billion at


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training and equipment will be used for purposes other than counter-terrorism, a charge

levied against the Tayaa-government and not yet allayed by the M.C.J.D. Border

security and domestic policing by Mauritanian forces and increased U.S. human

intelligence activity will help to maintain the countrys territorial integrity and serve the

development goals of maximizing physical security and minimizing non-native

extremism .

Selected groups of Mauritanian forces can be trained and equipped at minimal

cost . In their counter-terrorism roles, their duties will primarily consist of policing and

occasional confrontation with armed opposition. The U.S. should limit its support toarms and management training , intelligence-sharing , provision of border security

expertise , and use of military hardware (transportation, , weapons, communications) by

designated counter-terrorism units. As off-shore oil interests develop, forces should be

prepared to monitor Mauritanian coastal areas.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

Mauritania is plagued by high levels of poverty and unemployment , low rates of

education and literacy , a quickly growing population , and noted human rights abuses .

The M.C.J.D. government inherits a legacy of corruption and mismanagement .

Insufficiently instituted economic systems make Mauritania an inhospitable setting for

foreign investors . Mauritanias continued underdevelopment has consequences to U.S.

commercial interests, world markets and international security. The United States will

serve its economic interests and its security interests in North Africa and the greater fight


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against terrorism by offering targeted development assistance immediately, particularly in

the areas of public education and institution building .

Education aimed initially at increasing literacy rates and civic education intended

to inform publics of governments purpose and powers will help to prepare Mauritanians

for the changes of wealth and status that accompany oil production, as well as to guard

against corruption and theft of public resources. Public education will enable greater

numbers of Mauritanians to participate in the countrys development and emerging oil

business, thereby maximizing their benefits and increasing the likelihood of continued

political and economic stability. A special source of funding should be made available tointernational development organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International

Development, Peace Corps, and International Republican Institute to promote literacy,

other forms of education , civic education and civil society capacity building aimed at

equipping Mauritanians for change, democracy, and government accountability.

In addition, two sets of scholarships should be administered by the U.S.

government to sponsor Mauritanian students at American universities: one set of merit-

based scholarships will develop new leadership for Mauritanias emerging commercial

power, and one set granted by Embassy-Nouakchott to the children of prominent

Mauritanian political and business actors will cement the countries relationship through

a shared interest in Mauritanias success.

Mauritanias political and economic institutions remain loosely constructed,

weakly tied to the regions outside Nouakchott, and insufficiently transparent to prohibit

corruption and secure foreign investment. The M.C.J.D. has committed itself to

organizing elections within two years (in which M.C.J.D. officials will be ineligible)


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and to remedying problems related to corruption. The U.S. should offer Mauritania the

services of experts in public administration, law, election management, political party

training, economics, banking, infrastructure development and other areas of public

concern to help its government achieve its goals. Mauritania will be most reliable as a

trading partner and most resistant to the extremism immediately outside its borders

if its institutions are strong and governed by laws.


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Human development, economic development and security against terror and extremism

are connected . Underdevelopment of Mauritanias human resources and public

management presents domestic and international consequences. Without strong

economic and political institutions with safeguards against corruption, oil revenue isvulnerable to mismanagement and theft by domestic officials and foreign business

interests. Without public (literacy) and civic education, Mauritanians are ill-equipped

for changes that accompany the wealth and international status given to oil-producing

countries, they will encounter difficulty maximizing the benefits of oil revenue, and they

will remain vulnerable to domestic corruption and foreign extremism.

On 3 August 2005 , the government of Mauritania was seized by military leaders lead by

Colonel Ould Mohamed Vall in a bloodless coup detat. The coups leaders formed a

junta calling itself the Military Council for Justice and Democracy (M.C.J.D.).

Former President Maaouiya Ould Tayaa , who was in Saudi Arabia to attend the

funeral of King Fahd at the time, was refused re-entry and has since accepted asylum in

Qatar. The M.C.J.D. dissolved the countrys bicameral parliament, temporarily

suspended Ministerial authority, and communicated a broad system of reform . _____.

The African Union suspended Mauritanias membership pending an inquiry. The A.U.

emphasized its concern that repeated coups detat, military governments and violence


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persist to the detriment of African stability and development, but has since reinstated

Mauritanias full membership. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations

and shipments of humanitarian aid without interruption, though it immediately suspended

military aid initiated to support the Tayaa regimes anti-terrorism initiatives. The

Department of State initially expressed the United States desire for the resumption of

constitutional government and the return of former President Tayaa. Diplomatic and

military policy with regard to the M.C.J.D. government remains ambiguous.

Write a confidential policy brief for a head of state or head of government about an issueof your choice, but the issue should have a clear international dimension. Your brief

should explain what the issue is all about and what is at stake for your boss and also giveoperational policy recommendations. Your policy paper should be unrelated to your panel discussion and research paper. (3-5 pages).

Documents

Mauritania -A Policy Proposal Exercise