Left-wing politics in Mauritania
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Left-wing politics appeared late in Mauritania compared to other Arab countries, but were politically and culturally influent. The main representative of the Mauritanian left has been the Kadihines or Toilers movement, with leftists in Mauritania being called either leftists, progressives or toilers.
The Kadihines appealed to the working classes and the marginalised of Mauritanian society and managed to get support among all ethnic groups of Mauritania, while fighting the influence of Nasserism, Ba'athism (which the movement considered as "racist" and "Arab supremacist") and Black nationalism. It used Marxist and Maoist theory to defend a socialist Mauritania that moved past the tribalist system the country was transitioning from towards an egalitarian society, promoting a patriotic left-wing nationalist vision to build a new Mauritania.[1][2][3]
After achieving some of its demands through the regime of Mokhtar Ould Daddah, the Kadihines divided between those who cooperated with the ruling regimes of the country and those who remained in opposition (often extra-legally), which ended up leading to the decline of the left in Mauritania (also influenced by the loss of importance of ideology in Mauritanian politics and the rise of Islamism).