Ibrahima Moctar Sarr à Cincinnati

The phrase became common in U.S. politics last fall as a slogan of President Barack Obama's successful campaign. But politics in Mauritania is nothing like the U.S.

Saturday, the 60-year-old Sarr came to Cincinnati to campaign, hoping to convince what he says are hundreds of Mauritanian citizens living here to vote for him in the June 6 election by mail. He's one of four major candidates running in the country now ruled by a military junta.

Sarr spoke late Saturday night downtown. Earlier, he sat in the basement of a house on a bucolic tree-lined street in Mount Airy, occupied by several Mauritanians, and talked about the election.

He said he has been imprisoned twice for criticizing the government. He now leads the Alliance for Justice and Democracy and said he would rather fix the problems in Mauritania than live somewhere else.

"The American people, when they have problems such as the Civil War, they didn't go anywhere," he said, speaking mostly French through an interpreter. "They stayed here. Everyone cannot leave the problems."

Amadou Dia, 39, was among those listening to Sarr, and he said he would go back to Africa when political and economic conditions improve. Mauritania currently is ruled by Mohamed Aziz, who took power in a military coup last summer.

"I hope he gets elected and when that happens, a lot will change," said Dia, who has lived in Cincinnati for eight years and is taking college classes while he is here. "We are excited and proud because now he's making us part of his team. We are here taking advantage of opportunities."

Omar Ball of Mount Airy, who works for a computer company here, called Sarr a role model.

"All his life, he keeps fighting for democracy," Ball said.

Located in Northern Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean between Senegal and Western Sahara, Mauritania elected a president in national elections in 2007. But he was deposed by the military and the country remains beset by ethnic tensions. It is about three times the size of New Mexico and the U.S. government estimates its population at 3.1 million with a life expectancy of only about 60 years.

According to the 2000 Census, there were 2,225 Mauritanian-born people living in the U.S. In Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, there were 1,473 people from Western Africa in the region, but that number could have grown over the last decade and many immigrants here may not be officially counted.

There is a Mauritanian Community Association in Columbus, Sarr's next stop after his speech here.

"I think I will see a real democracy in Mauritania in my lifetime," he said. "I want a country that reflects the ideas and values of the Mauritanian people."

As for Obama, Sarr said the world sees America differently now.
"I thank the American people, particularly white Americans, because they are the ones who elected Obama," he said.


Source: Cincinnati . com