Mauritanian authorities arrested last Sunday scores of anti-slavery activists on the backdrop of riots and clashes last week with security forces in Nouakchott. The riots started when security forces stormed slump dwellings occupied for decades by the Haratin ethnic group, many of them former slaves. The authorities accused the members of the Initiative for the […]
Tag: Mauritania
Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal for Sahara, Best Acceptable Compromise, MEPs
Members of the European Parliament have underscored the soundness of the Morocco-proposed initiative to grant large autonomy to the Sahara under the Kingdom’s sovereignty, deeming this initiative as the ”best acceptable compromise” for settling the conflict. Their remarks came in a letter they addressed to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs […]
Mauritania, Senegal Agree on Mutual Exploitation of Gas Field
Nouakchott and Dakar have come to an agreement to work jointly and share returns of gas production off their coasts by the American energy company, Kosmos, reports say. Presidents of both countries have reportedly given instructions to their respective energy companies; Petrosen in Senegal and Smhpm of Mauritania to continue working with the American giant […]
Mauritania’s President Challenges Washington to Produce Alleged Secret Agreement with al Qaeda
Mauritanian President has called on Washington to produce evidence of the alleged secret deal between Nouakchott and the al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on a truce during which the terrorist group would cease abductions and militancy in Mauritania for a renewable one-year period, and in return, Mauritania would release all al Qaeda prisoners. The […]
Mauritania: Eight People Killed in Alms Distribution Event
At least eight elderly women died Wednesday in a stampede at a charity event in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. “At least eight people were killed, all elderly women, and two dozen others were injured,” a medical source said. The dreadful incident reportedly occurred in the compound of a rich Muslim man where people were invited […]
Mauritania: Supreme Court Frees Jailed Anti-slavery Activists
The Mauritania Supreme Court Tuesday demanded the immediate release of anti-slavery activists arrested two years ago and sentenced to two years in prison, reports say. Biram ould Abeid and Brahim ould Bilal respectively President and deputy President of IRA Mauritanie, an NGO combatting slavery in the country, have been ordered free by the Supreme Court […]
Mauritania: Opposition Rejects President’s Proposal to Suppress Senate
The Mauritanian opposition Saturday took to the streets to contest the President’s constitutional change proposal that will allow suppression of the senate. “We are protesting today to tell Ould Abdel Aziz that the Constitution is the red line,” Saleh Ould Henenna, Secretary General of FNDU, an opposition front made of 10 parties, told thousands of […]
Maghreb: Taieb Bacchouche, New Chairman of Arab Maghreb Union
Tunisian former Foreign Minister became Thursday Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU.) The 72-year-old former diplomat was appointed by the AMU Foreign Ministers Council at the 33rd session held in Tunis. Bacchoube will replace country-man Habib Ben Yahia, outgoing Secretary General of the AMU. Bacchoube was Tunisia’s Foreign Minister from February 2015 to […]
Mauritania: President Wants Suppression of Senate
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania Tuesday proposed the suppression of the Senate, which, he said, obstructs laws adoption. He called for a national referendum to decide over the move while giving three to four weeks to opposition parties to decide whether they will take part in the vote. “We are calling on the […]
Algeria Listed among Authoritarian Regimes in 2015 Democracy Index Report
Does democracy itch the Algerian regime? The answers is yes according to 2015 Democracy Index report published by the Economist intelligent Unit which puts Algeria among authoritarian regimes around world, as it features at the 118th spot out 167 countries. Democracy in Algeria is one of the worst in the Middle East and North Africa […]









