Category: Mauritania
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Mauritania rescues 141 migrants as shifting departure routes deepen Atlantic risks
Mauritania’s coastguard rescued 141 West African migrants on 30 November after their boat, which had departed from the Gambia, capsized off the coast near Nouadhibou. Authorities said on December 1st that the passengers were disoriented and adrift when a maritime patrol spotted them. The group included Senegalese, Gambians, Guineans, and Malians, with three individuals found…
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Sahara: Will Mauritania join countries having consulates in Moroccan Sahara?
Mauritanian tribal leaders have handed over to Mauritania’s ambassador to Morocco Ahmed Ould Bahi a letter requesting the opening of a Mauritanian consulate in Laayoune to facilitate administrative services for Mauritanians living in the Moroccan southern provinces. The request of the Mauritanian notables was conveyed to their country’s diplomat during a meeting held lately at…
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Morocco’s King expresses resolve to enhance constructive cooperation with Mauritania
King Mohammed VI has sent a message of congratulations to President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania, on his country’s national day. In this message, the Monarch expressed his deep satisfaction with the close ties of brotherhood binding the two peoples, and reiterated his willingness to continue working together with the Mauritanian President to…
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Mauritania Secures €39m French Loan to Build Ten Solar Power Plants
Mauritania and France, on Tuesday, November 25, have formalized a preferential loan agreement worth €39.2 million to construct ten solar power plants equipped with storage systems, marking a strategic boost to the country’s clean energy ambitions. Signed in Nouakchott by Mauritanian Economy Minister Abdallahi Souleymane Cheikh Sidiya and France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Nicolas…
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World Bank urges Mauritania to diversify economy
Mauritania must accelerate economic diversification to achieve its ambition of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2050, the World Bank said in a report published on Nov 24, citing the limits of a development model driven by extractive industries. “The extractive-led growth path is reaching its end,” the Bank said, noting that while Mauritania posted an…
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Morocco supports Mauritania’s efforts to combat desert locust surge
Morocco has donated Mauritania 100,000 liters of pesticides to support this country’s efforts in combating desert locust invasion, threatening agricultural output. This donation is part of the permanent cooperation set between the two neighboring countries’ specialized bodies in coordination with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Nouakchott has praised Rabat’s “rapid response” to the request…
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Mauritania: 227 West African irregular migrants rescued off Nouadhibou
Mauritania’s coast guard said over the week-end that theyrescued 227 irregular migrants aboard a boat traveling from Gambia off the coast of Nouadhibou in the country’s northwest. A statement by the coast guard said one of its patrols intercepted the boat after a “tragic” sea journey that lasted more than 10 days. The passengers, including…
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Sahara: Mauritania rebuffs Polisario request to open embassy in Nouakchott, another setback for separatists
The government of Mauritania has refused a request from the Algeria-backed Polisario militias to establish a consulate or embassy in Nouakchott, dealing another hard blow to the separatist group and its Algerian supporters, according to press reports. Mauritania, which adopts a neutral position regarding the Sahara regional conflict, has always been cautious in its ties…
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Mauritania’s Supreme Court upholds former president’s 15-year prison term
Mauritania’s Supreme Court has upheld the 15-year prison sentence handed to former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, confirming his conviction for illicit enrichment and influence peddling. The ruling, delivered on 4 November 2025, marks the final stage of legal proceedings for the former Head of State, who had appealed a May 2025 judgement. Abdel Aziz,…
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Mauritania offers compensation to victims of 1990s ethnic violence
The Mauritanian Government has announced plans to allocate over 27 billion old ouguiyas (approximately €59 million) as compensation for Afro-Mauritanians affected by ethnic violence between 1989 and 1991. The move, unveiled over the week-end, marks a significant step toward acknowledging the injustices suffered by this community. Representatives of the victims, who engaged in lengthy negotiations…