Mauritania-Senegal Border War 1670993 200794281 2008-03-25T13:41:35Z T L Miles 1752696 Category:Wars involving ... {{Infobox Military Conflict |date= [[April 1989]]-[[July 18]], [[1991]] |place=[[West Africa]] |casus=Killing of two Senegalese peasants by Mauritanian border guards |territory= |result=Mauritania and Senegal agree to reopen the border and end skirmishes |combatant1={{flagicon|Senegal}} [[Senegal|Republic of Senegal]] |combatant2={{flagicon|Mauritania}} [[Mauritania|Islamic Republic of Mauritania]] |strength1=[[Senegal]] unknown |strength2=[[Mauritania]] unknown |Commanders1=<br> |Commanders2=<br> |casualties1=Senegal dead: hundreds |casualties2=Mauritania dead: hundreds }} The '''Mauritania-Senegal Border War''' was a conflict fought between the [[West Africa]]n countries of [[Mauritania]] and [[Senegal]] during [[1989]]-[[1991]]. The conflict began around the two countries' [[River Senegal]] border, over [[grazing rights]]. ==Background== The [[Politics of Mauritania|Mauritanian Government]] had a recent history of discriminating against [[Toucouleur]]s and [[Soninke people]] within its borders. One such example occurred in [[1987]], when the government imprisoned southerners and threw others out of the army. ==Conflict== In [[April 1989]], the dispute over grazing rights led Mauritanian [[Moorish]] border guards to fire at and kill two Senegalese peasants.<ref name=ow>{{cite web |url=http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/sat/senegal/fsenegalmauritania1989.htm |title= Mauitanian-Senegalese Border War 1989-1991 |accessdate=2007-11-23 |format= |work=OnWar.com |date=2000-12-16}}</ref> As a result, people on the Senegalese southern bank [[riot]]ed. In Senegal, where many shopkeepers were Mauritanian, shops were [[looting|looted]] and most Mauritanians were expelled to Mauritania. In Mauritania, [[lynch mob]]s and [[police brutality]] ended in the forced [[exile]] of about 70,000 southerners to Senegal, despite most of them having no links to the country. About 250,000 people fled their homes as both sides engaged in cross-border raids.<ref name=ow/> Hundreds of people died in both countries.<ref>{{cite news |title= New cattle migration accord cools long-standing flashpoint |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=58931 |work=IRIN news |publisher=[[IRIN]] |date=2006-05-05 |accessdate=2007-11-23 }}</ref> With the departure of most Mauritanians from Senegal, the riots ended, but Mauritania's government under [[Ould Taya]] continued [[racist]] campaigns against southerners he described as [[black]] [[African]]s (as opposed to [[Arab]] Moors). The [[Organisation of African Unity]] tried to negotiate a settlement to reopen the border, but it was ultimately an initiative of Senegalese President [[Abdou Diouf]] which led to a [[treaty]] being signed on [[July 18]], [[1991]]. ==Refugee repatriation== In June 2007, the Mauritanian government under President [[Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi]] asked the [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]] (UNHCR) to help it repatriate black Mauritanians who had been forced out in the war and were living in refugee camps in [[Mali]] and Senegal. According to UNHRC estimates, there were 20000 refugees in Senegal and 6000 in Mali as of July 2007.<ref>{{cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Refugees cautiously optimistic about new initiative |url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/80a1227bcead90f0fa18ea0cb1fb8fc0.htm |work= IRIN news |publisher= Reuters Foundation |date=2007-07-10 |accessdate=2007-11-23 }}</ref> ==See also== [[1989 events in Mauritania and Senegal]] ==References== <references/> [[Category:20th century conflicts]] [[Category:Wars involving the states and peoples of Africa]] [[Category:Wars involving Senegal]] [[Category:Wars involving Mauritania]] [[fr:Conflit sénégalo-mauritanien]]