Mauritania-Morocco: Rabat rejects Nouakchott’s request for Bouamatou’s extradition

Rabat has rejected Mauritanian authorities’ request to extradite Mauritanian business tycoon and rival to President Ould Abdelaziz, reports say.
Moroccan and Mauritania reports Thursday indicated that Rabat turned down Mauritania’s request to see business tycoon Mohamed Bouamatou extradited to Mauritania.
Reports citing Mauritanian and Moroccan sources pointed out that a Mauritanian high ranking officer, Sidi Ould Baba El Hassane Head of the national security was seen in Rabat to negotiate the extradition of the Mauritania money bag deems rival to the regime.
According to reports, Moroccan authorities rejected the demand and ordered the businessman to leave the Moroccan territory.
Morocco also reportedly banned Bouamatou from any political activity in the kingdom in a move to sooth fears of the Mauritanian regime.
Mohamed Bouamatou is a powerful Mauritanian businessman who has been living in Morocco for three years. Reports say he also possesses a French diplomatic passport.
Bouamatou is said to have sponsored President Ould Abdelaziz’s electoral campaign that brought him to power. Reports also say the two men belong to the same tribal family.
Morocco and Mauritania have fruitful diplomatic cooperation but analysts say Morocco asking Bouamatou to leave is a gesture to maintain good relations with its neighbor.