Our host in Nouakchott is Azzedine Ould Daddah, the son of Mauritania’s first and most respected president, Moktar Ould Daddah. During our stay we visit the foundation established in his memory, and meet the foundation’s patron and Azzedine’s mother, Miriam Ould Daddah. Our concerns that the foundation would be politically motivated were totally unfounded. What [...]
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Monthly Archives: July 2009
Doulos: Serving the communities of Nouakchott
July 22, 2009 – 7:18 pm
In Nouakchott we visit doulos Community, a Christian NGO and one of the more successful small NGOs operating in Mauritania. doulos has been working with the poor of Mauritania’s emerging capital since its foundation in the mid-1980s, when a small group of inspired young American students decided they could no longer ignore the plight of [...]
An epic odyssey on the notorious Mauritanian iron ore train
July 14, 2009 – 5:11 am
Every guide book and blog states the same: 3 trains leave Nouadhibou for Choum daily, one with 2 passenger wagons. Departure at 2:30 pm. We arrived at 1:30 at the train station 5km out of town. The station is a surreal bustle of lazy activity amongst rolling sand dunes, Women seated by small ramshackle stalls [...]
Experiencing Occupation: Layounne, Smara and Al Dakhla
July 9, 2009 – 2:22 pm
From Agadir the group head south to Layounne in Morrocan occupied Western Sahara. On the way we pass through seven police checkpoints. At each our passport details are taken and we are questioned as to the nature of our visit. In Layounne we meet and stay with a known Sahwari activist with good connections with [...]
Arrested Development in Morocco
July 5, 2009 – 4:44 am
Last Saturday we went to a Gnaoua music festival in Essouria, a celebration of culture, art, and dance on the beach of Morocco. There were concerts around the city. Shows started at 4pm and went through the night. We secured interviews within a few hours of our arrival. American main act performers Arrested Development were [...]
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