Program for Mauritania

DirectDemocracyS (DDS) presents itself to the honorable Mauritanian people with complete transparency and respect. We are a pioneering, new global political movement founded on reason, common sense, truth, competence, and mutual respect. We are not a traditional party seeking power for its own sake, but rather a direct democracy that returns true power to the people—all the people—without intermediaries or monopolies.

DDS recognizes that Mauritania exists at a sensitive historical crossroads: a rich tribal, Arab, and Islamic heritage, vast natural resources both above and below ground, and simultaneously serious structural challenges such as poverty, inherited slavery, corruption, and the political exclusion of large segments of society. This program is not empty campaign promises—it is a realistic, detailed, and implementable action plan, built on a thorough analysis of the Mauritanian reality.

At DDS, we adhere to a steadfast principle that we will not deviate from in any country in the world: the wealth of every nation and its right to self-determination must always and forever remain solely in the hands of its people. No to handing over wealth to foreign corporations without oversight. No to surrendering power to a political or military minority. The people are the true rulers—and this is what DDS embodies in practice, not just in rhetoric.

Chapter Two: Diagnosing the Reality — A Frank and Honest Critique of the Current Situation

First: The political situation

Mauritania lives under a system that combines a veneer of formal democracy with an authoritarian core. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has experienced six successful military coups. The current president, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, a retired general, won his first term in 2019 and was re-elected in June 2024 with 56% of the vote in an election repeatedly challenged by the opposition.

Documented structural political problems:

The ruling Insaf party dominates the political scene in a manner that resembles a one-party system in practice, despite the formal pluralistic framework.
Restrictions on freedom of expression: Financial inspectors, activists and journalists have been arrested for criticizing the government online, as happened with Inspector Ahmed Ould Samba in October 2024, who was detained for a month after criticizing the president on social media.
Using the internet and social media as a tool for prosecution rather than a tool for freedom.
The army's interference in political life: In the 2019 elections, military units surrounded the headquarters of the electoral commission before the results were announced.
Weak judicial independence and fragile oversight institutions.
Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2025 on charges of financial corruption and embezzlement of public funds — revealing the depth of corruption in government circles.

Second: The economic situation

Mauritania possesses enormous natural resources: huge reserves of iron ore (especially in the Zouerate region), copper, cobalt, gold, phosphates, fisheries among the richest in the world, livestock farming, and, most recently, the start of natural gas production and export in 2025. Yet, most of the population remains poor.

Key current economic indicators:

GDP per capita: about $1,600 per year — among the lowest in the world.
The poverty rate: It decreased to 25.2% in 2025 according to the World Bank, after it was 27% in 2024, but the gap is still wide.
Economic growth of 5.2% in 2024 and 4.2% in 2025 — relatively good, but not distributed fairly across society.
Excessive reliance on the extractive sector (iron, fish, gas) which is vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices.
Infrastructure is poor: road networks, electricity and water are inadequate outside of Nouakchott.
Agriculture is suffering: the arable land does not exceed 1% of the country's area, and drought and locust invasion threaten food security.
Overfishing by foreign fleets impoverishes local fishermen and threatens fish stocks.
The industrial sector is weak due to a lack of investment, a limited number of qualified workers, and high production costs.
Financial corruption is deep-rooted: Transparency International rankings place Mauritania in low positions.
High external debt despite some improvement, with a moderate risk of debt distress according to the World Bank.

Third: Social situation and human rights

Herein lies Mauritania’s deepest and most dangerous wound: inherited slavery and its disastrous humanitarian consequences.

Hereditary slavery (based on lineage): Despite being criminalized in 2007 and penalties increased in 2015, slavery remains a reality. Global Slavery Indicators estimate that approximately 149,000 people out of a population of less than five million are enslaved—roughly three percent of the population.
The Haratin (freedmen and descendants of slaves) make up 45% of the population and suffer from systematic social and economic discrimination: no land, no education, no justice.
The difficulty in obtaining identity documents for the children of Haratin and Mauritanian Africans deprives them of services, education and legal protection.
Forced labor in the fishing, mining, domestic service, livestock herding, and agriculture sectors.
Citizens lack confidence in the police and judiciary due to documented corruption and discrimination.
Gender-based violence: UN experts have reported a widespread culture of impunity in cases of violence against women.
The presence of some 309,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Mauritania by mid-2025, most of them from Mali, is straining public resources.
Human trafficking: Mauritania is a source, transit and destination country for victims of human trafficking.
Cross-border smuggling and drug trafficking networks are becoming increasingly complex due to weak regional governance.
Education rates are low: the adjusted average years of schooling is 4.2 years, and the Human Capital Index indicates that a Mauritanian child born today will achieve only 38% of his productive potential as an adult.
Sensitive ethnic and tribal dispersal: White Arabs (White) 30%, Black Mauritanians (Wolof, Soninke, Fulani) 25%, Haratin 45%.

Chapter Three: The Political Program — Reforming the System of Government

1- The system of direct democracy via DirectDemocracyS

DirectDemocracyS does not offer a program for assuming governmental power in the traditional sense. What we offer is something deeper and more comprehensive: a system that empowers the people themselves to be the true, effective, and permanent source of power, through direct, digital, secure, and tamper-proof democratic tools.

Small groups (microgroups) — the basic building block of true democracy

DDS starts from the bottom up. It organizes citizens into small groups of 5 people (each person knows and trusts the others personally). Each group of 5 forms the decision-making unit in its neighborhood or village. Five groups (25 people) form the next level, and so on, in a fractal progression: 25 → 125 → 625, until the system covers all of Mauritania.

Why is this model ideal specifically for Mauritania?

Mauritania is a tribal country par excellence: trust is built on personal knowledge, kinship, and neighborhood — and that is exactly what the microgroup system is based on.
The population is spread over vast areas: microgroups reach every remote village and every pastoral camp without the need for huge infrastructure.
The digital environment is growing: the spread of mobile phones, even in rural areas, allows for the gradual implementation of the system.
The system is peaceful and does not require confrontation with the state: it works alongside society, building, not destroying.

Tools of direct democracy in Mauritania

Through DDS's protected digital platforms (closed and protected from external manipulation and media laundering):

Direct voting on local decisions (allocation of municipal budgets, establishment of schools and health centers, water and electricity projects).
Public referendum on major national policies (fishing agreements with foreigners, mining contracts, refugee policy).
Direct election of competent representatives at every level with the right of immediate dismissal if the representative betrays the trust of the voters.
Popular initiative for laws: Any group of citizens can submit a bill for a public vote if sufficient signatures are available.
Full transparency: Every decision, every budget, every government contract is published on the platform and any citizen can view it and vote to accept or reject it.

ddsAI and allddsAI: Artificial intelligence in the service of Mauritanian democracy

DDS integrates two artificial intelligence systems to serve every Mauritanian citizen:

ddsAI: Provides every citizen and group with complete, accurate and impartial information on every issue up for voting or discussion — in Arabic and local Mauritanian dialects when needed — free from media or political influence.
allddsAI: An AI democracy system, where AI agents participate as official members of the system with rights and duties, providing multiple analyses and models of policy outcomes before major decisions are made.
Groups of specialists: In each field (economy, health, education, environment, security), groups of specialized Mauritanian experts are formed who work with artificial intelligence systems to provide recommendations to popular groups, which make the final decision.
Protection against manipulation: The platforms are closed and protected, preventing misleading propaganda and media brainwashing by interested parties.

2. Reforming the political and legal system

The DDS calls for the following political and constitutional reforms, supported by direct democratic mechanisms:

A new constitution places the direct popular will above all authority: the people are the sole and true source of power.
Ending the army's dominance over political life: limiting the role of the military establishment to national defense and security.
True judicial independence: Reforming the judiciary and ensuring that judges are appointed based on merit, not political loyalty.
A comprehensive anti-corruption law with effective, public, and immediate accountability, including former and current officials.
Full freedom of the press and expression: abolishing all legal restrictions that criminalize criticism of politicians and officials.
A truly proportional electoral law that guarantees representation for all Mauritanian ethnicities and communities.
True decentralization: Granting states and municipalities real powers and budgets that are managed locally.

3. The complete eradication of slavery and discrimination based on lineage.

This is a non-negotiable issue at DDS — we consider it a top national priority that takes precedence over all other considerations:

National Emergency Civil Registration Programme: To ensure that every Mauritanian, including Haratin children and African Mauritanians, has unhindered access to legal identity documents.
Radical judicial reform: Effective specialized courts that do not accept informal settlements in slavery cases, with guaranteed free access to lawyers for victims.
Activating the 2015 law: actual prosecution of all violators regardless of their social or tribal status.
An economic empowerment program for the Haratin and vulnerable communities: granting them agricultural land from which they have been historically deprived, and providing microfinance and job opportunities.
Reforming the education curriculum: Including the history of the fight against slavery and human rights in all educational stages.
Protecting human rights activists and defenders: Making anti-slavery a constitutionally protected right, not a crime for which one is prosecuted.
Opening a national dialogue for reconciliation regarding the legacy of human rights abuses of the "humanitarian past" (1989-1992) and taking practical steps for compensation and recognition.

Chapter Four: The Economic Program

1- Restoring economic sovereignty to the Mauritanian people

The golden principle of DDS: Mauritania's wealth belongs exclusively to the Mauritanian people. This does not mean rejecting foreign investment, but rather resetting the relationship with foreign companies on the basis of fairness, transparency, and genuine national interest.

A. The fisheries sector: from plunder to empowerment

The current problem: fishing agreements with the European Union and Asia give foreign fleets the ability to fish in Mauritanian waters for a pittance, while local fishermen suffer from unfair competition and declining catches.

Comprehensive renegotiation of all fishing agreements: priority for Mauritanian fishermen, specific and transparent quotas for foreign fleets, and fair fees going to the public treasury.
Creating a modern national fleet: Supporting Mauritanian fishermen with modern boats, equipment, and insurance, and facilitating access to affordable loans.
Building a fish processing industry: freezing, processing and canning plants on the coast provide thousands of jobs and double the value of exports.
Marine protected areas: to protect fish stocks in the long term according to the best scientific sustainability standards.
A direct public vote via the DDS platform on every new fishing contract with foreigners — the people say yes or no.

A concrete example: If Mauritania receives $60 million annually from a European agreement while losing an estimated $1 billion worth of fisheries, this is disguised plunder. A DDS review of these agreements would ensure that Mauritania receives a fair share of at least 40% of the actual value of the exploited resources—directly added to the People's Development Fund.

b) Mining and underground resources sector

Review all mining contracts (iron, copper, cobalt, gold) according to the principle of full transparency: all contracts are published publicly on the DDS platform.
Gradually increase the national share of mining revenues: guarantee a real national share of no less than 50% of net profits.
A sovereign national wealth fund managed under popular oversight: 30% of natural resource revenues are deposited into it for future generations.
Establishing local metal processing industries instead of exporting raw materials — added value that stays in the country.
Partnerships with foreign companies are conditional on technology transfer and training of Mauritanian personnel.
Strict environmental control: No acceptance of environmental destruction in exchange for resource extraction.

C. Gas and Energy Sector

Mauritania began exporting natural gas in 2025 — a historic opportunity if properly utilized:

Reinvesting a portion of gas revenues into developing a national electricity grid that reaches all villages — Electricity for all is a national goal and a top priority.
Investing in renewable energy: Mauritania has enough sun and wind to generate electricity for generations — a green hydrogen project with international partners could transform the country into a clean energy exporter.
A subsidized local price for energy for every Mauritanian citizen — no one has their electricity cut off because of poverty.
Employing Mauritanians in the gas sector and training national cadres to manage the fields and infrastructure.

2. Diversifying the economy and creating job opportunities

Supporting agriculture in the Senegal River Valley: investing in modern irrigation technologies, distributing agricultural land to the Haratin and disadvantaged farmers, and encouraging desert agriculture (growing vegetables in solar-powered greenhouses).
Developing small and medium-sized industries: processing industries for fish, leather, textiles, food — should infuse the economy with local job opportunities.
Supporting entrepreneurship and youth: Accessible financing funds for young people, with vocational training linked to actual market needs.
Sustainable tourism sector: Mauritania has beautiful deserts, a stunning ocean and a precious cultural heritage — quiet and sustainable tourism development that respects the environment and local culture and provides income for communities.
Digital economy: Developing internet infrastructure and digitization to provide job opportunities in the digital sector, even in remote areas.

3- Guaranteed Universal Basic Income (GUMI-SV)

The DDS defines the Guaranteed Universal Basic Income with Structural Voluntary Work (GUMI-SV) system, which is being phased in in Mauritania:

A guaranteed basic income for every adult Mauritanian citizen: a monthly sum sufficient to meet basic needs (food, health, education), financed by revenues from natural resources and social reconciliation taxes.
Related to Structural Voluntary Community Engagement (SV): Volunteering in community services (education, healthcare, environmental protection, reconstruction) promotes belonging and reduces structural unemployment.
Gradual implementation: It begins with the most vulnerable communities (Haratin, remote areas) and expands gradually.
Funded by: The National Wealth Fund, gas, mining and fishing revenues, and a social reconciliation tax on large fortunes.
Democratically determined: Income level and conditions are determined by direct popular vote via the DDS platform.

Chapter Five: The Social Program

1. Education: Investing in human capital

The reality: The average school years are 4.2 years, and 25% of children suffer from stunting due to malnutrition. This means that Mauritania is wasting its greatest human potential. The DDS educational program:

Free compulsory education up to the age of 16: No child is allowed to drop out of school because of poverty.
Building schools in every village and camp: simple, practical schools equipped with solar power, that do not require huge spending.
Supporting education in local languages: Arabic, French, Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof — respecting linguistic diversity means access to education for every child.
Teacher training and improved salaries: A teacher who is respected and fairly paid is a guarantee of quality education.
Combating adult illiteracy: Adult education programs, especially in rural and marginalized communities.
Digital education: Distributing tablets and developing digital educational content in Arabic for all levels.
Abolish the system of compulsory Quranic schools that are exploited in the forced begging of children, and replace it with official religious programs that are nationally approved.

2. Health: Comprehensive healthcare for all

The stated goal of Ghazouani's government is to make healthcare free for the poor — DDS makes that a constitutional right for all:

A comprehensive, state-funded healthcare system: no citizen pays out of pocket for treatment of basic illnesses.
Build primary health centers for at least every 10,000 citizens — even deep in the desert.
Comprehensive vaccination programs and clean water drainage: addressing the root causes of stunting and epidemiological backwardness.
Supporting reproductive and maternal health: reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, which remain high.
A study of mental health services: In a society plagued by slavery, poverty, and migration, mental health is a necessity, not a luxury.
Training Mauritanian medical personnel: Self-sustaining medicine that does not depend solely on foreign medical labor.

3- Women and equality

Strict legal protection for women from all forms of violence — with actual accountability, not just statements.
Women's economic empowerment: Accessible financing programs for rural women to establish small businesses.
Women's representation at all levels of the DDS democratic system: no discrimination, every vote is of equal value.
Ending forced marriage and child marriage: Strict legal enforcement with community awareness programs.
Girls' education without restrictions: The current problem of girls dropping out of education is addressed with direct incentives for families.

4- The environment and combating desertification

Mauritania is suffering from rapid desertification—75% of its land is desert. New forestry and reforestation programs using suitable native species are needed.
Active participation in the Great Green Wall of Africa initiative that runs alongside Mauritania.
Sustainable management of fisheries and livestock.
Upgrading waste management in Nouakchott and all major cities.
Clean drinking water for all: The combination of desertification and groundwater scarcity is a challenge that is being addressed through extensive investment in rainwater harvesting and solar-powered seawater desalination.

5. Refugees and migrants

Mauritania hosted 309,000 refugees and asylum seekers in 2025 — mostly from Mali. DDS program:

Human integration: Integrating refugees into the local community in a way that preserves their dignity and rights in accordance with international law.
Joint support programs between refugees and host communities to ease tensions.
Addressing the causes of internal displacement: Development programs in areas of Mauritanian internal displacement.
Reject all forms of forced deportation or trafficking of migrants — human dignity is non-negotiable.

Chapter Six: Regional Security and Peace

Mauritania lies at the heart of the unstable Sahel region. It has so far managed to avoid the clutches of terrorism that plague Mali and Niger. DDS Security Program:

Strengthening the capabilities of the army and police within a democratic oversight framework: No institutional independence without popular oversight.
Combating terrorism by addressing its root causes: poverty, social exclusion, lack of opportunities — this is the breeding ground for extremist recruitment.
Engaging in a regional dialogue with Mali, Senegal, Algeria, and Morocco instead of relying on foreign powers (Russia, France).
Combating organized crime networks: drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling — through international cooperation, not alone.
Protecting the borders with trained Mauritanian personnel, not with foreign mercenaries.

Chapter Seven: International Alliances and Foreign Policy

Mauritania's strategic location — between Africa, Europe and the Arab world — makes it capable of being a bridge and not just a transit corridor:

Joining the global DDS network: Connecting with DDS movements in all countries for the exchange of experiences and mutual support.
Balanced relations: Mauritania maintains its independence and does not align itself with either the Russian or Western axis — it deals with everyone according to its national interest.
Partnership with the European Union on equal footing, not subordination: migration, fishing, energy — every issue is negotiated in a way that serves the Mauritanian people.
Strong engagement in the African Union and regional organizations from the position of an actor, not a recipient.
Strengthening relations with the Arab world: Arab-Islamic solidarity is a genuine identity framework, but not at the expense of the internal rights of all citizens.

Chapter Eight: Implementation Plan and Expected Results

Phase One (2025-2026): Foundation and Construction

Launching the first microgroups in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Rosso and Nouakchott — major cities and communities first.
Developing and making the DDS digital platform available in Arabic and in appropriate Mauritanian dialects.
Widespread community awareness of the concept of direct democracy and the DDS system through mosques, schools and tribal gatherings.
Training the first leadership cadres for microgroups in each state.
Contacting Mauritanian human rights organizations, especially Haratin communities and the IRA organization.

Phase Two (2026-2028): Expansion and Impact

Microgroups have expanded to include 50% of the country's regions — rural and pastoral areas — with mechanisms that suit them (tribal meetings, voice communication via simple phones).
Submitting the first political proposals via the DDS platform and collecting popular signatures to put pressure on state institutions.
Launching vocational training programs with support from DDS International funds.
Gradually entering municipal elections with DDS candidates who pledge full transparency and public accountability.

Phase Three (2028-2030): Structural Transformation

A genuine national political presence: participation in legislative elections using the transparent democratic DDS approach.
Full operation of the guaranteed basic income system in the most vulnerable communities.
Complete renegotiation of all natural resource contracts to ensure a fair share for the people.
Launching economic transformation projects: manufacturing industries, renewable energy projects, infrastructure.

Expected results over ten years

Field	Current situation	The goal after 10 years
poverty rate	25% of the population	Less than 10%
Human Capital Index	38% of the potential	More than 60%
Average years of education	4.2 years	More than 8 years
Health care coverage	Partial and unfair	Inclusive to all
Enslaved by inheritance	149,000 people	Zero in the actual application of the law
Citizen participation in decision-making	Symbolic / Elections Only	Actual direct democracy
Resource returns to the people	Less than 20% actually	More than 50% in a national fund
electricity coverage	Nouakchott only reasonably	Electricity for all areas

Chapter Nine: Respecting Diversity and National Identity

DirectDemocracyS declares openly and without reservation: We respect and protect in Mauritania and in every country in the world:

Islam is the state religion and the spiritual framework for the vast majority of the Mauritanian people — we respect it and do not violate its principles.
Arabic is the official language of the state and university, with full recognition and respect for the other national languages: Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof.
Ethnic and tribal diversity is an asset, not a burden — Mauritania is inclusive of all its sons: White people, Haratin, and African Mauritanians, equal in dignity and rights.
Authentic Mauritanian cultural heritage: Hassaniya, Malhoun, Saharan art, traditional architecture — is preserved and promoted.
The rights of religious and ethnic minorities are protected by constitutional guarantees.
Political opposition is a guaranteed right: no legal action will be taken against anyone expressing a different political opinion.

Conclusion: A message to the Mauritanian people

O noble sons of Mauritania,

You deserve more than what is being offered to you. You deserve genuine democracy, not a charade of elections. You deserve real justice, not empty promises. You deserve a fair share of the wealth of your land and sea. Every Mauritanian citizen—whether Moorish, Haratin, or African, man or woman, from Nouakchott or the depths of the Sahara—deserves dignity, security, and opportunity.

DirectDemocracyS doesn't bring you a savior or a leader. It brings you a system that puts you in charge—collectively, through knowledge, dialogue, voting, and accountability. A system that prevents anyone from stealing your wealth because all contracts are presented to you directly. A system that prevents tyranny because every representative can be removed if they betray your trust.

This program is not a ready-made recipe imposed from the outside—it is an open framework that you complete, develop, and adapt to your reality, culture, and priorities. The final word is always yours.

Mauritania is stronger than its current situation suggests. Its people possess the wisdom, patience, faith, and dignity to build a better tomorrow—if given the right tools.

DirectDemocracyS — True democracy for every person, everywhere