Minister of Culture inaugurates the National Week of Culture and Arts in the Wilaya of Dakhlet Nouadhibou.

The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, the government spokesperson, Mr. Al-Hussein Ould Medou, along with the Governor of Inchiri, Mr. Maahi Ould Hamid, inaugurated last night at the Higher Institute of Professional Languages, Translation, and Interpreting in Nouadhibou, the third edition of the National Week for Culture and Arts, under the title ‘Your Vacation … Culture and Tourism.’

The week’s activities include cultural and artistic topics, heritage performances, and competitions, in addition to mobilizing around issues of national unity, citizenship, a culture of peace and social cohesion, the central role of youth, promoting domestic tourism, combating drugs and harmful behaviors that hinder social and economic progress, the importance of reading and literacy for individuals and society, and the risks of the phenomenon of children without family support.

The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament stated in his speech on the occasion that the achievements and qualitative transformations achieved in recent years in the fields of culture and art were the result of the high directives of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani, who made culture and art two pillars for preserving identity and support for sustainable development.

He listed the qualitative gains achieved in a short period in the field of arts, such as the establishment of the National Institute of Arts, the launch of the President’s Prize for Fine Arts, the creation of a special administration for the arts, the issuance of a decree for the Professional Artists Council and the professional artist card, the organization of the first edition of the Music Festival, and the provision of proper care for several of our artistic, literary, and cultural giants. Preparation is also underway for the first edition of the Nouakchott International Book Fair.

He added that the cultural field has seen the elevation of elements of our tangible and intangible heritage, starting with the ‘Mahadrah’ which was considered a world heritage, passing through the epic ‘Samba Gladiu’, symbolizing fatherhood, nobility, and social cohesion, and culminating in the acknowledgment of Soninke as a transnational language by UNESCO, and the registration of dozens of elements from our heritage on the Islamic and Arab heritage. Furthermore, it is expected that in the coming months, the culture of Imraghen and their productive activities will be recognized as world heritage, and efforts are being made to classify Azouki where archaeological research has been revived, as well as Koumbi Saleh and Awdaghoust.

In the field of supporting the incubating infrastructure for cultural action, the Minister stated that the country will witness the establishment of a cultural district that will comprise a palace for culture, heritage villages, and Roman theaters in Nouakchott, in addition to the establishment of museums and audiovisual spaces in the capitals of the states. He called for making these days a time for both joy and awareness, and to turn the city of Nouadhibou, with its sea, sand, and people, into a harbor of memory and a stage for the future, affirming that the Nouadhibou edition represents a practical platform to respond to the call of His Excellency the President of the Republic for citizens and employees to spend their summer holidays within the country to discover its diversity, support its local economy, and restore their bonds with their land and community.

For his part, the president of the regional council of Nouadhibou, Mr. Mohammed El Mami Ould Ahmed Bezeid, highlighted the importance of this cultural event, which will energize the local scene. He praised the efforts of the overseeing sector and confirmed that this event will contribute to refining the skills of young people, enhancing their sense of belonging and citizenship, and instilling values of cooperation and fair competition.After the opening ceremony, the Minister and his accompanying delegation visited an exhibition held for this occasion, which included a pavilion for the Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic Research and Fishing, another dedicated to local historical books and manuscripts, a third pavilion for paintings and drawings by local artists, in addition to a section for traditional crafts such as jewelry, decorative items, and household utensils.The ceremony took place in the presence of the governor’s advisers, the governor of Nouadhibou, the deputy mayor of Nouadhibou, leaders of the military and security sectors in the state, some officials from the cultural sector, and several civil society activists along with some stakeholders in the cultural and sports fields