Mauritania’s ruling Union for the Republic party (UPR) swept legislative polls entrenching its position as the victor. Led by President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the party increased its presence in Parliament with an additional 22 seats in the polls that took place on September 15, bringing its majority to 89 in the 157-seat parliament. The ruling […]
Tag: Mauritania
Mauritania’s President Wants Opposition out of Parliament
Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz has called for banning opposition MPs from entering the parliament, labelling them as “intruders” and “extremists.” He said in an address to his party members, the Union for the Republic, in the northern locality of Akjoujt, that the presidential elections take place with the participation “of intruders with ideas and […]
Algeria, Mauritania Open Border Crossing
Algerian and Mauritanian authorities opened a new border post south of Algeria’s main southern city of Tindouf, despite the security reality on the ground, and the fact that the border region, decreed military zone by Mauritania, is frequently used by cross-border criminals and traffickers. The post dubbed, Mustapha Ben Boulied has 46 offices, 4 car […]
Mauritania: Campaigning Kicks off in Run-up to Polls
Electoral campaigns have started across Mauritania as politicians seek to woo 1.4 million voters in the upcoming parliamentary and municipal polls slated for Sept. 1. Several political parties held rallies in different parts of the northwest African country. Mauritania’s ruling Union for the Republic Party of President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz listed its many “achievements” […]
Shell to Explore Oil & Gas offshore Mauritania
Shell will set up an office in Nouakchott to begin exploring hydrocarbons off shore the West African country. Under an agreement reached between the two parties, the oil and gas giant Shell shall begin exploration activities, starting with reprocessing and analysis of existing seismic data. “This move represents Shell’s entry into the West African Atlantic […]
Respect for Territorial Integrity a Sine Qua Non for Maghreb Integration
Respect for territorial integrity of member states is a sine qua non for achieving the long-sought integration of the Maghreb Union (AMU), Morocco’s Lower House Speaker Habib El Malki told AMU’s Secretary General Taieb Baccouche. During a meeting in Rabat, the two officials highlighted the wasted potential of the Maghreb as it continues to be […]
Morocco, Mauritania Break Ice
Morocco and Mauritania are showing willingness to start a new page after undergoing a silent storm on the backdrop of Nouakchott’s ambiguous stands on the Sahara issue. A sign of the new rapprochement was expressed at the reception by Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz of Morocco’s new ambassador to Nouakchott Hamid Chabar who presented his […]
Members of Mauritania’s Largest Slave Abolitionist Group to Run for Elections
After years of fighting for their rights despite crackdown and imprisonment, members of Mauritania’s leading anti-slavery NGO, the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) are preparing their participation in local elections to make their voice heard. Led by recipient of UN human rights prize in 2013, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abied, IRA is not recognized […]
Mauritania Complains of Iran’s Meddling
After Morocco, which severed ties with Iran over its support for separatists, Mauritanian authorities are complaining of the meddling of Iranian embassy which they accuse of spreading Shiism among the Sunni population. Mauritanian media reported that the foreign ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador in Nouakchott Mohamed Amrani against the backdrop of rising concerns on Iranian […]
Mauritanian Government Lambasted at UNHC for Slavery
The Mauritanian government was rebuked at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its failure to abolish entirely slavery practices, which remain widespread in the West African country. A heated exchange took place between the Mauritanian government and independent national and international NGO’s calling for abolishing the abhorrent slavery practice in Mauritania as part […]









