National Vanguard Party

National Vanguard Party
حزب الطليعة الوطني
Parti Avant-Garde nationale
Leader Mohamed Ould Abdellahi Ould Eyye
Founded 1991 (1991)
Ideology Ba'athism
Official colors Black, Red, White and Green (Pan-Arab colors)
Party flag
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The National Vanguard Party (Arabic: حزب الطليعة الوطني Hizb Al-Taliyeh Al-Watani, French: Parti Avant-Garde nationale, abbreviated PAGN), a branch of the Baghdad-based Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي, transliterated: Hizb Al-Ba'ath Al-'Arabi Al-Ishtiraki), is a ba'athist regional organisation founded in 1991.

History

The Mauritarian branch of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party was founded in 1991, during the Gulf crisis.[1] The Mauritanian Ba'ath Party remains the largest arab nationalist political force in the country. The branch has maintained good relations with the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party even after Saddam Hussein's downfall following the United States invasion of Iraq.[2] The party was able to field candidates for seats in parliament during the 1992 parliamentary elections, and was the only party, with the exception of the Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal, to field candidates for the Senate elections. However, the party secured only 1 percent of the vote nationwide, and did not secure a seat in neither parliament nor senate. Kabry Ould Taleb Jiddou, the party's leader, was rewarded the office of Secretary of State by the newly-elected government because of his electoral campaign.[3]

The branch supports full arabisation of the country, a view considering by many as rascist. Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, the President of Mauritania, introduced a anti-ba'athist policy when in power. This policy was continued under his successor Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. However, it should be noted that the Mauritanian government supported Iraq during the Gulf War. Iraq–Mauritania relations were so close that rumours circulated international that Saddam's family had taken refugee in the country following the American invasion, this proved to be false. The repression against the ba'athist has not been reduced, and in 2003, several ba'athists were jailed on suspicion on trying to overthrow the government.[2] A reason for the close relations between the two countries, was the strength of the mauritanian ba'athist party.[4] The party was banned in 1999, following the restoration of bilateral relations with Israel.[5] The National Vanguard Party was accused of developing plans in collaborations with the Iraqi government foment unrest within the country.[6]

Mohamed Ould Abdellahi Ould Eyye, the party's leader, was arrested in 2003 following a large anti-government protest which demanded the government to break it's relations with Israel and the United States, and help Saddam. Rafi, along with 13 other ba'athists, was arrested by government forces, and the party's headquarter were raided in May.[7]

References

  1. ^ Lane, Jan-Erik; Redissi, Hamadi; Ṣaydāwī, Riyāḍ (2009). Religion and Politics: Islam and Muslim Civilization. Ashgate Publishing. p. 217. ISBN 978-0754674185. 
  2. ^ a b Seddon, David (2004). A Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. Taylor & Francis. p. 87. ISBN 978-1857432126. 
  3. ^ Banks, Arhur S.; Muller, Thomas; Overstreet, William (2008). Political Handbook of the World 2008. CQ Press. p. 848. ISBN 978-0872895289. 
  4. ^ Thomas, Caroline; Wilkin, Peter (1999). Globalization, Human Security, and the African Experience. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 114. ISBN 978-1555876994. 
  5. ^ East, Roger; Thomas, Richard (1999). Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders. Routledge. p. 345. ISBN 978-185743126X. 
  6. ^ Banks, Arhur S.; Muller, Thomas; Overstreet, William (2008). Political Handbook of the World 2008. CQ Press. p. 848. ISBN 978-0872895289. 
  7. ^ Europa Publications (2003). Africa South of the Sahara 2004. Routledge. p. 702. ISBN 978-1857431839. 
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Action for Change - Union of Democratic Forces - National Vanguard Party (Ba'ath)