Living together in Mauritania

Mauritania recognises Arabic as the official language and Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof as national languages; French remains widely used in administration. Islam is the state religion. These linguistic, religious and social conditions shape communication and local cooperation, but the legal framework protects equality before the law without distinction based on origin, race, gender or social status. Regularly present foreign nationals also receive legal protection, although political rights are not automatically the same as those of citizens. Racist or ethnically partisan propaganda is punishable. People must respect the law, collective duties and public and private property. Public spaces may be used freely only within legal limits. The Ministry of Interior, Decentralization and Local Development, the Wilaya administration, the Moughataa administration and the commune each have different responsibilities. A Wilaya is an administrative region led by a Wali, while a Moughataa is a local administrative division led by a Hakem. The commune and its municipal council connect local administration with community concerns. Mauritania has no single nationwide neighbourhood-council system or uniform neighbourhood-coexistence procedure established in the reviewed sources. In urban areas, residents commonly coordinate through communes, local elected representatives and community-based organisations. In rural areas, village committees often support conflict prevention, resilience and local cooperation. Traditional and religious authorities may also help settle disagreements, especially where local trust and customary practice influence the solution. Conflicts can be handled informally or formally. Village chiefs, traditional leaders, religious authorities such as a Cadi and local mediators may seek an amicable settlement. These arrangements are often inexpensive or nearly free and socially accepted, but their documentation and legal enforceability can be limited. Formal court mediation is governed by the Code de procédure civile, commerciale et administrative. A judge must propose mediation in eligible cases, except for matters such as personal status, employment and public-order issues. The mediator must be independent, impartial and accredited. Mediation may last up to three months and can be extended once for a further three months; the court remains responsible for the judicial case. Serious violence, a death, involvement of external actors or a dispute requiring enforceable legal action belongs before the formal justice system. Agro-pastoral disputes involving cultivation, grazing or water resources follow the pastoral code: the parties first seek an amicable settlement and may then proceed to arbitration or court action. People who cannot afford legal help may apply to a regional legal-aid office. An application can be made orally at the court registry or in writing and normally requires identification, proof of residence, proof of poverty or a Social Registry record, and a summary of the case with supporting evidence. Refugees and asylum seekers may need protection or residence documents. The service is free, and processing is set at 15 days, extendable to a maximum of one month. Civic engagement can take several forms. The Constitution protects freedom of association, and Law 2021-004 uses a declaration system rather than prior authorisation for associations. A national association or amicale generally submits its file to the Ministry of Interior through the Service des Libertés Publiques. Typical documents include statutes, internal rules, a founding record, member, address and signature lists, legalised papers, birth certificates, criminal-record certificates, photographs, national identity documents and a notarised deposit. The stated processing period is 59 days, while an official fee is not specified in the available research. Civil-society partnerships and training can involve the Commissariat aux Droits de l’Homme, à l’Action Humanitaire et aux Relations avec la Société Civile; the reviewed pathway indicates a 48-hour service without charge, ending with a final receipt and proof of premises. Municipal councils and community-based organisations can connect residents with participatory planning for roads, parks, public squares, lighting, waste services and water access. The Moudoun approach combines participatory planning, local capacity and infrastructure. The responsible office and practical procedure can differ between communes and Wilayas. Illegal occupation of public land can be addressed through the Direction de contrôle Urbaine. The reviewed pathway provides for an application without a stated fee or processing time and a complaint to the Cabinet of that directorate. Social-cohesion and peace mechanisms include women, young people, refugees and host communities. Refugee-host cooperation is especially relevant in Hodh Chargui and M’bera, as well as in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Their integration into national systems is continuing, while documentation and access problems remain. Mauritania still has a gap in national asylum-law norms, so practical access can depend on status and available documentation. Digital coexistence has a formal legal basis through Law 2017-020 on personal-data protection, Law 2016-007 on cybercrime, Law 2018-022 on electronic exchanges and Law 2021-014 on electronic payment services. The reviewed official sources do not establish a specific nationwide reporting or mediation pathway for online disputes. Shared housing has no direct nationwide co-housing equivalent documented in the research; household cooperation, privacy and property or peace-at-home boundaries belong here only where they concern coexistence, while housing and tenancy law belong to the housing topic.