November 28, 1960, Independence is proclaimed in a hangar in Nouakchott in the presence of French the Prime Minister Michel Debré and some French-speaking heads of state.

The proclamation of the Independence of Mauritania accelerated the destabilization attemps carried out by Morocco. Mali of Modibo Keita aligns itself on the Moroccan positions. August 26, 1961, an armed group attacks a garrison with Néma and resulting in several deaths.

The Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Daddah is elected President of the Republic in August 1961. Thanks to an active diplomacy, Mauritania affirms itself gradually on the international scene. It enters to the United Nations on October 27, 1961 in spite of the hostilities from Morocco. The actual beginning of the exploitation of the iron mines in December 1963 brought a wave of renewal to the new state.

The promulgation, January 12th 1966 of decrees making compulsory bilingualism (French and Arabic) in schools causes a tension, which leads to racial confrontations in February 1966 in Nouakchott. But they are quickly controlled and the reform is maintained. August 7, 1966, Mokhtar Ould Daddah is re-elected in elections where he was the only candidate. Morocco recognized Mauritania by in 1969, and they signed a treaty of solidarity, good neighbourliness and co-operation for twenty years. Diplomatic relations were established on June 8 1970.

From within the country problems erupt after the events of Zouerate in May 1968. The dispute spreads and extends to many sectors: students, school, working, teaching, and trade unions. This contestation which, originated from syndicates sources was primarily fuelled by the Kadihines movement, a Movement of Marxist then Maoist obedience’s. It will know a great vigour from 1970 linking under the same banner Arabs and Negro-Africans whom were previously divided by quarrels around the Arabic language becoming the official language of the country.

In February 1971, George Pompidou pays an official visit to Mauritania.

The years 1971, 1972, 1973 were also quite agitated. The disputes touched most of students, school youth and the elite as well as the trade-union world. Moreover other groups of young people of obedience baathists, nasserites were created.

With the creation of the currency (29 juin1973) and especially the nationalization of the MIFERMA (November 1974) the movement of opposition animated by Kadihines runs out of breath. In 1975 significant figures of this dispute joined the party in power, the PPM. This tendency crystallizes with the participation of the youth of opposition to the Congress of the Youth of the PPM in August 1977. At the same time, certain or not recognized clandestine organizations began to dissolved beginning in 1975 like the General Union of the Students and Trainees, (UGESM), the PKM (The party of the Kadihines of Mauritania); The organization of the Kadihines, Sayhat Al Madhloum had ceased appearing. Only, a marginal dispute remained then.

On the diplomatic level and since 1970, the question of the Western Sahara is put at the foreground of the concerns in the under region (Summit of Nouadhibou between Mokhtar Ould Daddah, Hassan II and Boumediene). Ould Daddah became active on the external level. Very appreciated by his peers, he is elected President of the OAU on August 9, 1971. On mars 11th 1972, Mauritania created with Senegal and Mali, the OMVS (Organization for the Development of Senegal). December 4th, 1973, Mauritania adheres to the League of Arab States.

In 1974, the International Court of La Hague seizes control of the Western Sahara dossier. Mauritania. A secret agreement between Morocco and Mauritania is carried out about Western Sahara. June 11th, 1975, president Mokhtar Ould Daddah visits Algerian president Houari Boumediene in Hassan II to try to find a global agreement. Meanwhile, the Liberation Fronts Saguiet Al Hamra and Rio de Oro (Front PLISARIO), created in 1973 by Sahraouis young people began attacks against the Spaniards.

November 14, 1975 the Agreement of Madrid is signed. It anticipates the withdrawal of the Spanish troops from Western Sahara, and the dividing of the territory between Morocco and Mauritania. Algeria isolated of the negotiations Morocco-Mauritanian and being wary of her Moroccan neighbour gives an increasingly active support to the POLISARIO. Well armed, the POLISARIO multiplied the attacks beginning December 1975 against the Mauritanians and Moroccan forces. The Mauritanian army takes possession of Dakhla in January 1976. This embryonic army in 1975 was reinforced considerably but did not manage to control a large territory, which became larger with the occupation of the Sahara.

The ore transporting train, economic pillar of the economy is attacked regularly. Raids are organized against the cities of Zouerate, Chinguetti, Tidjikja, Tichitt and two against Nouakchott in 1976 and 1977. The French air support (Lamartin operation) from December 1977 cannot prevent the continuation of a conflict, which stagnates. The Mauritanian army itself is mined by the demoralization of some of its heads and by the ambition of others.