Minister of Culture Oversees the Launch of the Electronic Platform for the Mauritanian Popular Literature Encyclopedia
His Excellency the Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesperson Mr. El Houssein Ould Mdou, presided this evening, Monday, at the headquarters of the Diplomatic Academy in Nouakchott, over the official launch ceremony of the electronic platform for the Mauritanian Popular Literature Encyclopedia, organized by the Mauritanian Union of Popular Literature.
The platform, which supports national languages, aims to preserve the literary heritage in all local languages by digitizing it and facilitating access for researchers in the field.
The platform includes administrative tools that allow supervisors to review, edit, approve, or modify the content, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the material while maintaining the spontaneous popular character of the texts.
The Minister stated that His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, has placed culture at the heart of his national project, believing it to be a fundamental pillar in building the individual and enhancing social cohesion. He has made culture a strategic focus in his political vision due to its crucial role in consolidating a unifying national identity, fostering creativity, and opening horizons for dialogue with the world—without compromising authenticity or diluting uniqueness.
He added that the care for national heritage has been embodied through the establishment of the “Jol” cultural festival, adding a developmental dimension to the “Medaines of Heritage” and “Jol” festivals. This has positively impacted the four cities classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites, in addition to adopting March 1st as a national day for cultural diversity, celebrated annually with the participation of all societal components to consolidate the unifying national identity and appreciate the country’s rich cultural, linguistic, and artistic heritage.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament considers this encyclopedia a highly significant step toward building a national digital memory and strengthening Mauritania’s cultural presence in the digital space. It also serves as a vital contribution to reinforcing the unifying national identity.
For her part, the President of the Mauritanian Union of Popular Literature, Mrs. Khadija Sheikhna Mohamed Laghthaf, said that popular literature is not merely a linguistic or artistic expression but the living memory of society—a repository where successive generations have stored their wisdom, sorrows, joys, and history.
She pointed out that since its establishment, the Union has taken on the responsibility of this great heritage with full awareness of its weight.
She added that over the past period, the Union has worked with a team of specialists, poets, and researchers to build an electronic platform characterized by comprehensiveness and flexibility, enabling users—whether researchers, poets, or enthusiasts—to submit literary texts in our four national languages (Hassaniya, Pulaar, Soninke, and Wolof), classified according to history, meter, purpose, region, and poet.
The ceremony included literary recitations covering various genres of Hassaniya literature and other national languages.
The event was attended by several union members and individuals interested in popular literature.
