Mauritanian president speaks of “serious violations” of human rights in 1980s
Published: 30/Jun/2007
Source: Al Jazeera (via BBC Monitoring)
[Presenter] In the first address he delivered after taking office, Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi has spoken bitterly of what he called large-scale human rights violations committed in Mauritania in 1989, 1990 and 1991. Ould Cheikh Abdellahi vowed to work to ensure that any such violations, which were committed against Mauritanians at home and abroad, would not be repeated.
[Abdellahi] During the 1980s, the country witnessed large-scale violations of human rights. During 1989, 1990 and 1991, Mauritanians at home and abroad and residents in Mauritania faced serious violations that had no justification whatsoever. Peaceful Mauritanian citizens were forced to leave their country, honours were violated and rights were widely wasted.
[Presenter] Mauritanian President Ould Cheikh Abdellahi committed himself to [helping with] the return of all Mauritanian black refugees to the country and to apply a programme for reintegrating them in their original areas in coordination with the [UN] High Commission for Refugees.
[Abdellahi] We will welcome the contribution of the national solidarity efforts and our partners in development, in addition to the state’s self resources. Those in charge of this process will be certain that all Mauritanians concerned will benefit from the programme of organized return. We hope these efforts will result in the return of all nationals staying as refugees outside Mauritania.