- Title: MAURITANIA: Mauritanians struggle to makemeet in post-coup economic uncertainty
- Date: 22nd August 2008
- Summary: FAMILY SEEN OUTSIDE A SHACK CHILDREN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HOUSEWIFE, HALIMA MINT SAMBA, SAYING: "We'd say hunger and drought are always present in Mauritania. If you eat in the morning, you won't eat in the evening, if you eat in the evening, you won't eat in the morning. If you wear a dress today, you won't be wearing it tomorrow." SAMBA WASHING CLOTHES SAMBA WITH HER CHILDREN OUTSIDE SHACK
- Embargoed: 6th September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mauritania
- Country: Mauritania
- Topics: Economic News
- Reuters ID: LVA17Y5A78Q4EYXL8MFDXLFD8RXZ
- Story Text: Ordinary Mauritanians have been hit the hardest as Mauritania's tired economy struggles forward amid strong international condemnation of a military coup.
There is no shortage of food supplies in Nouakchott market, but high prices has meant some residents can't afford to buy food.
"We can find everything, but it's expensive. The important thing is that everything is expensive, everything is expensive. We can't live anymore, everything is expensive," said Jamila Haidara, a shopper at Nouakchott''s main market.
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's Aug. 6 overthrow of the northwest African country's first freely elected leader prompted broad international condemnation, but he has remained defiant.
Western donors have piled financial pressure on the new military junta rulers to restore the ousted President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
The World Bank froze development lending to Mauritania following a military coup earlier in August, becoming the latest donor to suspend aid to the West African country until democracy is restored.
The effects of this have trickled down to local Mauritanians, who are struggling to cope with rising prices and the insecurity of a new regime.
Civil servant, Gow Thiam, said prices were rising across the board and money now will be controlled by the elite.
"It's going to get worse, that's very clear. All the signs are proving this actually, like the prices, if you go to the market now the prices are up across the board. Across the board, all the prices are on the way up.
Also there will be a blockage in terms of money because they will go into certain accounts, in a single direction. There won't be any transparency and the money will be controlled by the elite," he said.
Black market money exchange handlers on one of Nouakchott's main boulevards, said the uncertainty has also been reflected in the currency exchange rate.
"The ouguya has gone down. It's the coup that caused it to fall against other currencies. That's because the new regime is not yet stable, and that is a cause for the degradation of the economy," one black market money exchange salesman, Idoumou said.
But on the outskirts of Nouakchott, far from the banks and corridors of power, thousands of people live in improvised shacks, many are large families with very little money to provide for themselves.
"You'd say the hunger and dire poverty are always present in Mauritania, if you eat in the morning you won't eat in the evening. If you eat in the evening you won't eat in the morning. If you wear a dress today, you won't be wearing it tomorrow," said Halima Mint Samba, a mother of six living in a shack by the side of the road.
Mauritania is a largely desert country of 3 million people twice the size of former colonial ruler France and is rich in iron ore, copper and gold.
It is heavily dependent on international aid.
General Aziz said the international community had condemned something without knowing all the details.
The EU froze aid to Mauritania after a coup in 2005. It resumed it after the then military-led government pledged to organise elections and release political prisoners.
However, Aziz has declined to name an election date, and said it was not impossible that he maybe a candidate in the next presidential elections. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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