VZCZCXRO9633
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS RUEHPA
DE RUEHNK #0468/01 1101727
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201727Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5389
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0231
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0267
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0420
RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0231
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0181

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NOUAKCHOTT 000468 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR EAID KPAO MR
SUBJECT: UNPUBLISHED OFFICIAL REPORT CONFIRMS PROBLEMS WITH 
ID CARDS ISSUANCE IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF MAURITANIA 
 
REF: NOUAKCHOTT 409 
 
Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
-------------- 
(C) Key Points 
-------------- 
 
-- An unpublished report from the Regional Electoral 
Commission in Trarza, an important province in southern 
Mauritania, found significant problems there in the 
application process for National ID cards. 
 
-- To register to vote, Mauritanians must have ID cards. 
 
-- The uncirculated report, given to us in confidence by the 
UN, states that the number of citizens "without any civil 
documents remains very high." 
 
-- Nevertheless, the report is largely supportive of the 
government's census and voter registration efforts in the 
province.  It states that, despite the problems that the 
provincial branch of the independent electoral commission has 
found, the census and registration process has gone well. 
The report notes that as of March 22, nearly 75 pct of 
eligible voters in the region had registered. 
 
------------ 
(C) Comments 
------------ 
 
-- Significantly, the report does not mention any racial 
aspect of the problem.  But Trarza is a southern province 
with a large number of Afro-Mauritanians.  It is impossible 
to say exactly how large the number is, since no census in 
Mauritania ever tracks the sensitive subject of race. 
 
-- However, one indication of a racial link to the problem is 
this:  statistics in the report show that the ID card issue 
is a great problem in the provincial districts with 
reportedly higher percentages of Afro-Mauritanian residents. 
 
-- Embassy believes the tenor and judgments in the report 
will be echoed in the national electoral commission's report 
to the UN electoral assistance team, which is engaged in a 
mid-point evaluation of the government's census and 
registration campaign. 
 
-- Further, the Embassy expects the UN team to find that, 
even with the problems so far identified, Mauritania is on 
track to meet international standards in its voter 
registration drive. 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1. (C) In an unpublished report from the National Independent 
Electoral Commission's regional commission in Trarza (one of 
Mauritania's southern, predominately Afro-Mauritanian 
regions) the commission has found that significant problems 
persist in the process of applying for National ID cards 
(required for the voter registration, scheduled to end April 
30).  The report was passed in confidence to Ambassador 
through the UN Permanent Representative here. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
ELECTORAL COMMISSION FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. (C) The report finds that the situation with the ID cards 
"remains troubling," as the number of eligible voters 
"without any civil documents remains very high."  The report 
goes on to say that "the failure to resolve this 
question...could contribute to lessening the effectiveness of 
the election results." 
 
¶3. (C) However, the report is largely supportive of the 
government's census and voter registration efforts, stating 
that, despite the problems the commission has found, the 
process has gone well.  The report notes that as of March 22, 
nearly 75 pct of eligible voters in the region had registered. 
 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000468  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶4. (C) The report is light on recommendations, stating only 
that the administration needs to give clearer guidance to the 
field. 
 
¶5. (C) The report also states that the census was stopped in 
El Arya (a community in the Moughataa of Wad Naga) due to a 
"massive influx" of people coming from Nouakchott to register 
in the community.  The report said such an influx would 
weaken the credibility of the voter list.  (Note: The 
decision to stop the census was likely tied to the ongoing 
fear of "strategic registration" where populations will 
register in a community outside of their residential 
community in the hope of influencing the electoral outcome in 
that community.  Mauritanian law prohibits the registering of 
an individual in a community they have not resided in during 
the previous six months.  End Note.) 
 
----------------- 
REPORT STATISTICS 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (C) While the government does not collect racial or ethnic 
data, we have identified two Moughataas as predominately Moor 
(both White and Black Moor), three as predominately 
Afro-Mauritanian, and one as mixed.  We have included these 
findings in the report's statistics summarized below. 
Obtaining a birth certificate is the first step toward 
applying for a national ID card, which in turn allows the 
voter to register. 
 
STATISTICS FOR THE TRARZA REGION BY MOUGHATAA: 
 
-- Mederdra: Ethnically mixed 
Number of people registered: 13,375 
Number of requests received for ID cards: 2,128 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: 903 -- 42 percent 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: NA 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: 169 -- 
percent NA 
 
-- Boutilimit: Majority Moor 
Number of people registered: 21,898 
Number of requests received for ID cards: 1,000 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: 903 -- 90 percent 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: 1,444 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: 600 -- 42 
percent 
 
-- Wad Naga: Majority Moor 
Number of people registered: 22,108 
Number of requests received for ID cards: 1,000 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: 400 -- 40 percent 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: 2,234 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: 780 -- 35 
percent 
 
-- R'Kiz: Majority Afro-Mauritanian 
Number of people registered: 24,242 
Number of requests received for ID cards: 1,468 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: 107 -- 7 percent 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: 613 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: NA 
 
-- Keur Macene: Majority Afro-Mauritanian 
Number of people registered: 14,472 
Number of requests received for ID cards: NA 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: NA 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: 162 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: 54 -- 33 
percent 
 
-- Rosso: Majority Afro-Mauritanian 
Number of people registered: 18,620 
Number of requests received for ID cards: NA 
Number and percentage of ID cards issued: NA 
Number of requests received for birth certificates: NA 
Number and percentage of birth certificates issued: NA 
 
----------------------------- 
POST'S ANALYSIS OF STATISTICS 
----------------------------- 
 
NOUAKCHOTT 00000468  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) According to our identification of Moughataas 
predominated by Afro-Mauritanians versus Moors, it appears 
that a) the problems in receiving ID cards and birth 
certificates are worse in predominately Afro-Mauritanian 
Moughataas, and b) data collection in these Afro-Mauritanian 
Moughataas is poorer than in the Moorish Moughataas.  For 
example, the two predominately Moorish Moughataas of 
Boutilimit and Wad Naga averaged 65 percent issuance rates 
for ID cards, and 38 percent issuance rates for birth 
certificates.  While among the three predominately 
Afro-Mauritanian Moughataas, only R'Kiz had complete ID data, 
with a 7 percent issuance rate (out of a significant sample 
size of 1,468 applications), and only Keur Macene had data on 
birth certificates, with an issuance rate of 33 percent. 
LeBaron