Mauritania added two red stripes to its national flag in 2017. The change was enacted on October 25, 2017, after a constitutional referendum approved altering the flag and national anthem.
Before the change, Mauritania's flag had been green with a gold star and crescent since April 1, 1959. The two red horizontal bands—one above and one below the central green field—were introduced as symbols associated with the struggle against French colonial rule. The flag's green field and gold star-and-crescent design were retained.
More than 86% of voters reportedly supported the proposal in the August 5, 2017 referendum. The amended flag was first raised publicly on November 28, Mauritania's independence anniversary. This creates a minor date trap: 2017 is the adoption year, while November 28 is the first-raising date.
Another possible source of confusion is 2020. That year, Mauritania published official graphic guidelines standardising the flag's precise construction, but it did not introduce the red stripes. The design change itself belongs to 2017.