A wave of support from last week's meeting of international donors has Mauritanians both excited and watchful.
International donors last week pledged over 900 billion ouguiyas in development aid to Mauritania, raising hopes and concerns about the effectiveness of the 187 projects slated for funding.
The support came at a two-day meeting that Mauritania launched on Tuesday (June 22nd) in Brussels with the support of the EU, the World Bank and the UN. The meeting aimed to highlight Nouakchott's moves on good governance and mobilise partners to fund public- and private-sector investments.
"This is not the first time Mauritania has received generous support from the international community," economist El Mechri Ould Bouh told Magharebia. "But the biggest problem is still with management, not in raising money."
"Therefore, we should be a bit patient in expressing our optimism," he added, smiling. "How many a times have we heard promises and seen no results?"
"In spite of our government's many achievements, there is a lot that we must do," Mauritanian Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf said in a speech on June 21st to the donors in Brussels.
"The vast majority of our young people are unemployed, which makes them easy prey for extremist groups and possible victims of illegal immigration networks headed towards Europe," the prime minister added. "Therefore, we're giving special attention to embodying this programme, which is based on... an open and varied economy on the ground."
Laghdaf said that the pledges of support exceeded Mauritania's own requests of about 790 billion ouguiyas. Mauritania had sought support from Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, the EU, the UN, the World Bank and other international donors.
Over 60% of the pledges made at the Brussels conference came from Arab and Muslim countries, the Kuwait News Agency quoted Laghdaf as saying on June 23rd.
Many Mauritanian political leaders welcomed the donors' support and expressed hope that the funds would change the country's economic conditions.
"The party has received with relief the results of the meeting", a leader of the moderate Islamist Tawassoul Party and former presidential candidate, Mohamed Jemil Mansour, said on June 23rd.
Mensour said he hoped the funding would boost the country's social and economic conditions, and that development would witness a major shift commensurate with the size of the support.
The Mauritanian Party for Union and Change on June 23rd issued a statement praising "the huge efforts made by the majority government to convince the partners of the seriousness and strictness of its policies that embody the platform of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz."
More good news may be yet to come, as Mauritania awaits the final funding figures.
Minister of Economic Affairs Sidi Ould Tah said on June 23rd that "many of the funds that Mauritania is waiting for were not disclosed during the announcement of the sum the donors pledged to give on Wednesday".
"Many of Mauritania's partners in development expressed their willingness to fund development projects in the country, but the decision-making mechanisms in their countries and organisations didn't allow them to announce specific figures," added the minister.
The minister said that these countries and organisations include China, Japan, the OPEC Fund for International Development and the African Development Bank.
Several Mauritanians spoke to Magharebia about their hopes and reservations about the huge amounts pledged.
"I'd like to thank the international community for these huge amounts of money that it gave to Mauritania in just one week," said one trader, Mohamed Bouya Ould Sidi. "This support, which exceeds all expectations, will undoubtedly revive the country's economy and open new horizons for all Mauritanians for a better life."
"We shouldn't rush to express our optimism; the government yet to finish the major projects that it's talking about," said Mariam Dehoud. "As citizens, we at least have to wait a bit to see, and then judge. As the wise proverb says, 'every season has a different discussion'."
By Mohamed Yahya Ould Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott
© Magharebia.com 2010
