Recently in Mauritania, Africa students at the University of Nouakchott violently clashed over language policy, leaving many students severely wounded. This behavior arose when the Prime Minister, Moulaye Ould Mohammed Lagdaff, made an announcement over the status of Arabic language in the country which provoked the uproar across campus between students. During a celebration of the Arabic language, the Prime Minister mentioned that the country would begin implementation of compulsory Arabic programs as the only official "lingua franca" or working language that people use regularly to communicate. This sparked tensions between two groups of students: Arabo-Berbers who have Arab descent and Negro-Mauritanians who have African descent. The Prime Minister's statement fueled ancestral quarrels about language that started with heated debates and soon turned into violence that had to be stopped by police and tear gas.
The history behind these two ethnic groups and their respective attitudes towards French and Arabic play a monumental role in how people view the situation. A Negro-Mauritanian students reported that they do not want to "inherit cultural oppression and linguistic humiliation" similar to their ancestors faced. On the other side, an Arabo-Berber student pointed out that the country's Constitution only recognizes Arabic as the official language and sees those that clamor for the coexistence of French and Arabic as "agents of imperialism." The current debate, fueled by cultural and linguistic identities, highlights a long struggle for power and control within the country between these two communities. Looking further into Mauritania in general, I found that the country has only recently outlawed slavery (within the past few years) and the civilian government of Mauritania was overthrown in 2008 by a military coup d'etat. On top of that, it is amongst the most poverty stricken countries in Africa with about 20% of the population living on less that $1.25 U.S. a day. I think these amongst other cultural and historic factors have influenced the current situation and attitudes within the country. The circumstances in Mauritania illustrate the immense cultural pride and ties that people can grow to associate with a language and its real world implications.
Here's a link to the article: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20100424181813316
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