Space Program of Mauritania

------The Mauritanian Space Agency------

Level = 0                                         Development: Very Low

  

Country Overview

What has been going on in Mauritania?

 

 

Space Agency and its Activity

What kind of space power do they have?

 

 

Weapons and Power Projection

Does Mauritania have space weapons?

 

 

Timeline and the Future

What are they planning over there?

Population: 3,100,000 / Language: Arabic / GDP: $2000 / Cities: Nouakchott

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OVERVIEW

 

 

 

One of Africa's newest oil producers, Mauritania bridges the Arab Maghreb and western sub-Saharan Africa.

The largely-desert country presents a cultural contrast, with an Arab-Berber population to the north and black Africans to the south. Many of its people are nomads.

In the Middle Ages Mauritania was the cradle of the Almoravid movement, which spread Islam throughout the region and for a while controlled the Islamic part of Spain. European traders began to show interest in Mauritania in the 15th century and in 1814 it came under direct French rule.

Politics: A coup in 2005 ended President Taya's two decades of authoritarian rule; parliamentary elections in November 2006 are expected to test the willingness of the new military rulers to make way for civilian, democratic rule

Economy: Mauritania depends heavily on drought-prone agriculture; its rich coastal fishing grounds are threatened by over-exploitation; offshore oil exploitation began in 2006

International: The international community appears to have accepted the 2005 coup; Mauritania is an ally of the US in its "war on terror" and has ties with Israel

 

Morocco opposed the country's independence in 1960 and for a time tried to absorb it. But Morocco's King Hassan II later improved ties as part of his plan to divide Western Sahara.

The eventual deal in 1976 brought more problems, though, with Mauritania coming under attack by Polisario Front guerrillas, who opposed Moroccan control of Western Sahara, and the subsequent downfall of the leader since independence - Moktar Ould Daddah - in a military coup.

Peace was agreed with the Polisario in 1979, but this in turn worsened relations with Morocco, until a detente in 1985. More recently, ties with Senegal have been strained over the use of the Senegal River, which forms the border between the two countries.

Mauritania officially banned slavery in 1981. The government has denied accusations that it is still being practised.

One of the world's poorest countries, Mauritania has pinned hopes for future prosperity on the exploitation of its offshore reserves of oil and natural gas. The Chinguetti and Tiof fields are expected to yield millions of barrels of oil.

The country forged diplomatic ties with Israel in 1999, one of three Arab nations to have done so. Under its former president, Mauritania was an ally of the US in its "war on terror". American special forces were despatched to train Mauritanian troops.

Full name: The Islamic Republic of Mauritania

Military leader: Ely Ould Mohammed Vall

With President Taya out of the country for the funeral of the Saudi king, a group of army officers staged a bloodless coup on 3 August 2005 and went on to form a military council. Many Mauritanians welcomed the coup.

The council, headed by Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, said it had acted to end a "totalitarian" regime and promised to hold presidential elections within two years. It appointed veteran politician Sidy Mohamed Ould Boubacar as prime minister.

Col Vall, a one-time ally of the deposed president, had been the head of national security.

One of his first acts was to free 21 Islamists, jailed by the previous government. He also granted an amnesty for Mauritanians accused of political offences. Col Vall says Mauritania will continue to honour a commitment to combat terrorism.

The ousted president, Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, survived previous challenges to his rule; a coup attempt in 2003 was was put down after heavy fighting between loyal troops and rebel soldiers. Two more alleged coup attempts were thwarted in 2004.

Mr Taya seized power in 1984 as head of a military junta. After multi-party polls in 1992 he headed civilian governments. He was re-elected for a third time in 2003 in a poll which opposition groups said was marred by fraud and intimidation.

 

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 Mauritania's Space Infrastructure

Mauritania is one of the world's poorest countries, thus it does not have an agency, nor an infrastructure in which one would arise. University of Nouakchott, its capital, does not offer astrophysics, astronautics or aeronautics, while the government has no ministry devoted to science of this type.

Mauritania has no history of being part of any organization dealing with space, nor has any launch capability.

Mauritania lacks the industrial base, the educational base and the political foundation for a process like this to occur within it.

Mauritania operates no satellites and, not having a presence, has no space power.

The government of Mauritania in Nouakchott has no plans for attempting to further any ambition in space development or research.

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WEAPONS AND POWER

 

 

 

 None

 

 

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Timeline of Events in Zambia

...From the Past to the Future

 3rd-7th centuries AD - Berber and Arab migrants displace the original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania.

9-10th centuries - Empire of Ghana has its capital in present-day south-west Mauritania.

1076 - Berber Almoravid warriors defeat the Empire of Ghana.

1500s - European mariners and traders establish settlements.

1644-74 - Mauritanian Thirty-Year War: Berbers unsuccessful in repelling Arab warriors.

1850s-60s - French forces gain control of southern Mauritania. In 1898 France wins the allegiance of Moors in the region.

1904 - France establishes Mauritania as a colonial territory.

1920 - Mauritania becomes part of French West Africa, and is administered from Senegal.

1946 - Becomes a French overseas territory.

1957 - Nouakchott established as the capital.

Independence

1958 - Mauritania becomes self-governing.

1960 28 November - Mauritania becomes independent.

1960 - Mauritania makes territorial claims to neighbouring Spanish Sahara.

1973 - Mauritania joins the Arab League.

1976 - Mauritania and Morocco divide up Spanish Sahara, now known as Western Sahara, after Spain pulls out. Guerrillas of the Polisario front, aiming to establish an independent state in the territory, fight the forces of both countries.

Military coup

1978 - First post-independence president, Moktar Daddah, is deposed in a military coup. The coup is prompted partly by the struggle against Polisario guerrillas and resulting financial strains.

1979 - Mauritania signs a peace agreement with the Polisario front and renounces its claim to Western Sahara. Morocco annexes Mauritania's former share of the territory.

1981 - Attempted coup; Moroccan involvement is alleged and Mauritania breaks ties with the country.

1984 - Coup brings Colonel Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya to power.

Mohamed Haidallah: Ex-president was accused of coup plot

1989 - Race riots erupt in Mauritania and Senegal after a border dispute. Tens of thousands of black Mauritanians are driven out of the country into Senegal. Others become the targets of attacks and land seizures. Hundreds of people are killed.

1992 - Taya elected president.

1993 - US ends development aid over Mauritania's treatment of its black population and its support for Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War.

1997 - President Taya re-elected in a poll boycotted by the main opposition parties.

2001 September - Morocco's King Mohammed vists - a turning point in the often-strained relations between the two countries.

2002 January - Opposition party Action for Change, which campaigns for greater rights for blacks and descendants of slaves, is banned.

2002 June - Country granted $1.1bn (£740m) in debt relief.

Coup plots

2003 June - Attempted coup: Troops loyal to President Maaouiya Ould Taya regain control of the capital after heavy fighting with rebel soldiers.

Locusts devoured crops in 2004, prompting UN call for food aid

2004: Locusts invade Mauritania capital

2003 October - First post-independence president, Moktar Ould Daddah, dies in Paris.

2003 November - President Taya re-elected with 67% of vote in first round of elections. Opposition alleges fraud.

2003 December - Former President Haidallah is fined and given suspended prison sentence for plotting coup.

2004 August - Army officers arrested in wake of alleged coup plot.

2004 September - Government says it has foiled a coup plot - the third in 15 months. In October President Taya accuses Libya and Burkina Faso of financing recent coup attempts.

2005 January - UN calls for food aid in the wake of locust invasions in 2004. Mauritania was the African country worst hit, with its crop production obliterated.

2005 June - Attack on an army base in the Sahara kills 15 soldiers. The government blames insurgents from Algeria.

2005 3 August - With President Taya out of the country, troops seize government buildings and a group of officers announces the overthrow of the president and the formation of a military council.

2006 February - Offshore oil production begins.

2006 June - Voters in a referendum approve constitutional changes which will limit the president to two five-year terms in office.

2006 November - Parliamentary, municipal polls. Senatorial elections have been set for January 2007 and presidential polls for March.

TODAY AND INTO THE FUTURE

 

 

Nothing Planned

 

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