2011–2012 Mauritanian protests

The 2011–2012 Mauritanian protests were a series of protests in Mauritania that started in January 2011, influenced by and concurrent with the Arab Spring, and continued into 2012. The mostly peaceful protest movement demanded that President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz institute political, economic, and legal reforms. Common themes of protest centered around civil-military relations, slavery (which had only recently been outlawed officially in Mauritania but was still widespread in the country), other human rights abuses the opposition accused the government of perpetrating, and economic issues.

The protests began after the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi and continued in what would come to be known as the February 25th Movement. Other protests, such as those against the census and student movements calling for Aziz's resignation, continued throughout 2011 and into 2012. As in other countries impacted by the Arab Spring, protestors used social media to coordinate and publicize demonstrations. The reaction of Mauritanian authorities to these protests varied, oscillating between explicit approval, ambivalence, and violent repression.