Ahmed Baba Miské

Ahmed Baba Miské (18 May 1935 – 14 March 2016) was a Mauritanian politician, writer, diplomat and author of Lettre ouverte aux elites du Tiers-monde (Open Letters to the Elite of the Third World). He was a Mauritanian ambassador and Polisario Front member.

Early life Miské was born in Adrar Region into the Ahel Berikallah tribe, a tribe found in both Mauritania and Western Sahara. He attended primary and secondary school in Mauritania before studying at the University of Dakar and travelling to France, where he studied for some time.

Nahda Party Returning to Mauritania he became an early opponent of Moktar Ould Daddah, then a rising politician, whom Miské considered too traditional, pro-French, and generally out of touch with the rising waves of nationalism then consuming developing countries. Although a member of the Mauritanian Regroupment Party, Miské felt ignored and excluded from power. In July 1960, two months following the formation of the PRM, Miské was expelled along with several other youth leaders and Arab nationalists for their vocal opposition to and criticism of Daddah. On September 25 and 26, Miské formed the Nahda party at Kaédi, and became the party's Secretary-General.

Mauritanian People's Party and banishment Although Daddah's nominal ally, Miské used his position to build up a separate power base. Fearing Miske could eventually form a threat, Daddah made Miske Mauritania's ambassador to the United States and permanent representative to the UN. Miske served in these roles from 1964 to 1966, and upon being recalled back to Mauritania was arrested on corruption charges, although he was found not guilty and was released a month later. Miske then went into exile for twelve years, spending his time mostly in Paris, and founded the magazine Africasia.