The Mauritanian National Union (french: Union nationale mauritanienne, abbreviated UNM) was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

. The party was founded in April 1959, as a merger between a dissident group in the

Mauritanian Regroupment Party Mauritanian Regroupment Party (PRM, French ''Parti de Regroupement Mauritanien''; Arabic: حزب التجمع الموريتاني ) was a political party in Mauritania from 1958 to 1961. Although nominally led by party President Sidi el-Mokhtar ...

(PRM) and the Union of Natives of Southern Mauritania (UOMS). The foundation of the party took place in the run-up to the May 1959 legislative elections. Members of the party bureau of UNM included Hadrami Ould Khatrri (political secretary), Moussa Sall, Yacoub Ould Boumediana (chairman) and Ba Abdoul Aziz (administrative secretary). The UNM favoured unity with the neighbouring states in the

Mali Federation The Mali Federation ( ar, اتحاد مالي) was a federation in West Africa linking the French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan, Sudanese Republic (or French Sudan) for two months in 1960. It was founded on 4 April 1959 as a territor ...

. The party had most of its support from the Black populations of southern Mauritania. The party could not contest the May 17, 1959 legislative elections, having been formed too soon before the polls. The party held its founding conference in July 1959, in Aïoun. At the conference, the party declared itself as 'the Mauritanian section of the Party of the African Federation' (PFA), a move reciprocated in a greeting from the PFA bureau two months later. In February 1960 Hadrami, Yacoubi and Ba were arrested, charged with conspiring against the integrity of the state. Once the Mali Federation collapsed, the jailed UNM leaders were released. Subsequently the party moved closed to

Moktar Ould Daddah Moktar Ould Daddah ( ar, مختار ولد داداه, Mukhtār Wald Dāddāh; December 25, 1924 – October 14, 2003) was a Mauritanian politician who led the country after it gained its independence from France. Daddah served as the country's ...

. The party was pressured to align with PRM and on October 10, 1960 the two parties formed a united front. At a meeting held on June 30, 1961 leaders of PRM, UNM and the former

Nahda The Nahda ( ar, النهضة, translit=an-nahḍa, meaning "the Awakening"), also referred to as the Arab Awakening or Enlightenment, was a cultural movement that flourished in Arabic-speaking regions of the Ottoman Empire, notably in Egypt, Leb ...

agreed to merge their parties. Subsequently, the

Mauritanian People's Party Mauritanian People's Party (PPM, French ''Parti du peuple mauritanien''; Arabic: حزب الشعب الموريتاني ''Hizb Al-Sha'ab Al-Muritaniy'') was the sole legal party of Mauritania from 1961 to 1978. It was headed by President Moktar ...

(PPM) was formed as the sole legal party in the country.

References

{{reflist, 30em Black political parties Defunct political parties in Mauritania Political parties established in 1959 Political parties disestablished in 1961