Unemployed youth staging a sit-in outside the presidential palace in Nouakchott today and refusing to budge, despite the armed guards threatening to shoot them.
Unemployed youth staging a sit-in outside the presidential palace in Nouakchott today and refusing to budge, despite the armed guards threatening to shoot them.
@lissnup 
Unemployed grads made history storming #Mauritania presidential palace today, first time since 1960 independence. Video interview describing the hopeless situation for thousands of graduates in the country, with the protesters saying they plan to stay put, and that Aziz is not leaving until they get a response, in the main post [Ar].
Two weeks ago, at a political rally, Aziz was proudly boasting about how graduates had been put to work growing rice, and pledging to expand the program. Even if all the reclaimable land he mentioned was turned over to rice paddies only a small percentage of unemployed graduates would benefit – and I use the word loosely.
Also today, the WHO published new figures predicting explosive population growth in Arab countries in the next 10 – 20 years and commenting on increased unemployment in Mauritania and other countries in the region.
tw:
via FaceBook: #Mauritania police attacking jobless graduate protesters inside presidential palace grounds tw:
via FaceBook: 28 protesters arrested at #Mauritania presidential palace sit-in for jobless grads. tw: [Ar] http://www.facebook.com/m25fev/posts/381665158533648
Aziz is right on schedule. #AfricanUnion #HumanRights taskforce has left #Mauritania, arrests resume. They didn’t leave without condemning the abuses under his regime. tw: http://snup.us/w18