French and Arabic have co-existed as the two languages of government in Mauritania for decades. Black Mauritanians mostly speak French, plus one or more native languages, such as Fulani, Soninke, or Wolof. Most do not know and have not received instruction in Arabic.
For years, the Mauritanian government has been slowly eliminating the use of French in public life. Now, there is near-total Arabization of government services. For example, the following services are conducted only in Arabic:
- Exams required for certain jobs, such as police and medical positions
- Hospital records
- Birth certificates and other governmental records
- Police and court records
A highly trained neurosurgeon, Dr. Aminata Boubacar Diop, was denied employment in the civil service because she does not know Arabic. She points out that the patients she would see in this position do not speak Arabic either, but do share common languages with her. Another man interviewed by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance failed the police exam because he did not know Arabic.
Black schoolchildren are beginning to get instruction in Arabic. Their families prefer that they learn to read and write French. That choice is being taken from them in order to “Arabize” the culture. And it leaves generations of older children and adults of all ages locked out of official life because they do read or understand Arabic.
Here is an example of a document that is only available in Arabic, but used to be offered in French.