Mauritania–United States relations
Mauritania |
United States |
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Mauritania – United States relations are
Overview
After Mauritania gained independence on 28 November 1960, the United States maintained cordial relations with Mauritania and provided a small amount of economic assistance. During the Six-Day War in June 1967, Mauritania broke diplomatic and consular relations with the United States but restored ties two years later and maintained relatively positive relations until the late 1980s, despite disagreement over the Arab–Israeli conflict. Since 1981, the United States has provided about $130 million in economic and food assistance.
The 1989 rupture between Mauritania and Senegal (the "1989 Events") that resulted in Mauritania's deportation of tens of thousands of its own citizens to Senegal, negatively affected U.S.-Mauritanian relations. Moreover, Mauritania's perceived support of Iraq prior to and during the 1991 Gulf War further weakened the strained ties.
Relations between the U.S. and Mauritania reached a low in the spring of 1991, as details of the Mauritanian military's role in widespread
By the late 1990s, the Mauritanian government adopted policies facilitating the return of those expelled or who fled during the 1989 Events; turned away from Iraq and toward the West; and initiated a poverty reduction strategy while securing debt relief under the
The U.S. condemned the
Previous United States Ambassadors to Mauritania
- Mark Boulware
- Joseph LeBaron
- John Limbert
- Richard W. Murphy
- Edward Peck
References
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.