First Independent Mena Newspaper
Mauritanian authorities persist on maintaining a blackout on the practice of slavery in the country by denying access to international civil rights organizations, the latest of which is a US anti-slavery delegation that planned meetings with Mauritanian government officials and activists. The group, which includes leading US abolitionists, was rejected entry visas after landing at […]
The US State Department denied Egypt $96 million in aid and delayed $195 million in military funding because of concerns over Egypt’s human rights record and its cozy relationship with North Korea. Sources from the State Department confirm that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson authorized the $195 million to be held in reserve until Egypt […]
The EU, France, Spain and Germany have welcomed the appointment of Germany’s former President Horst Köhler as new Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Sahara. “The EU is looking forward to working with Kohler,” said an EU Spokesperson in a statement to Morocco’s news agency. “The EU continues to encourage all parties […]
Canadian company Algold Resources has been awarded a 30-year mining license to drill for gold in Tijirit project, in Mauritania. Under the terms of the mining license, Algold will deliver a feasibility study by December 2018. Algold acquired the Tijirit project in April 2016 and immediately commenced a major exploration program, under which it completed […]
Mauritanians have voted in favor of changing the green and yellow flag by adding two red stripes in a referendum that has also seen the Senate abolished. A proposal to add two red stripes to the West African country’s national emblem was approved by 86% of voters who turned up in a crucial Aug 5 […]
Illicit cigarettes accounted for over 20% of consumption across the Maghreb region in 2016. However successful prevention strategies have resulted in a 24% decline since 2015, said the Amsterdam based professional service and auditing company KPMG in a recent study. The study, dubbed “Illicit Cigarette Trade in the Maghreb Region,” shows the 13 billion smuggled […]
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has made an appearance at a rally to prove his presence in the country after reports pointed out that he fled Mauritania few days before the August 5 referendum. The Mauritanian President, accompanied by his wife, showed up at a rally in Nouadhibou Tuesday, to deflate the rumors claiming […]
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will not rule Mauritania beyond 2019, end of his current tenure, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid, President of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) has told sympathizers. Mauritania has been embroiled in a political crisis after it became clear that President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz wanted […]
The decision by Mauritanian authorities to seal off borders with Algeria as a military zone forbidden to civilians is the tree that hides the forest. The closing of the borders signals cracks in the Algerian-Mauritanian short-lived alliance. As Mauritania tilts towards its Sahel neighbors in their efforts to counter the terrorism scourge, it takes steps […]
The Mauritanian army arrested this week some men and several weapons on board a four-wheel vehicle near Mauritania’s North-eastern borders with Algeria. The arrest took place just few days after Mauritanian authorities declared the borders with Algeria and Mali a military zone strictly forbidden to civilians. The decision was made amid the proliferation of terrorist […]