The Mauritania state prosecutor Wednesday demanded 20-year prison sentence for members of the Mauritanian anti-slavery association arrested last month for “prompting armed protest in a slum of capital Nouakchott.” Thirteen people among whom 10 members of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) have been standing trial since August 3. The defendants […]
Tag: Mauritania
Morocco Informed UN, Nouakchott about Anti-smuggling Operation
The operation led by Moroccan security services in the southernmost tip of the Kingdom is a police operation conducted in coordination with the UN and Mauritania to curb smuggling and cross-border illegal commercial activities. Expert in regional issues Abderrahmane Mekkaoui told Le360.ma website that the polisario’s allegations of Morocco mobilizing its army to violate the […]
Moroccan Security Forces Crackdown on Smugglers on Mauritanian Borders
Morocco mobilizes its security forces along with customs services in a clampdown on smugglers in the southernmost tip of the country on the borders with Mauritania. A statement issued by Dakhla regional authorities said that the operation started on August 14 in Guerarat on the borders with Mauritania with the aim of clearing the region […]
Mauritanian Slavery Abolitionists Endure Torture in Custody, Lawyers say
Thirteen anti-slavery activists on trial in Mauritania said they have been tortured during their detention, their lawyers said. The activists, on trial for “rebellion and use of violence”, were arrested last month after riots in a Nouakchott slum community that was being forcibly relocated as the west African country prepared for an Arab League summit. […]
Mauritania: One Ton of Cocaine Seized at Nouadhibou Port
A coordinated network assault by state security forces on Sunday led to the seizure of one ton of cocaine at Nouadhibou sea port, reports say. Army coast guards, military police and police forces launched the coordinated operation at and around the port located in the city of Nouadhibou, more than 400 km north of capital […]
Algeria, Morocco’s First Trading Partner in Africa
Algeria is Morocco’s first customer and supplier in Africa, despite the stalemate in political and diplomatic ties between the Maghreb’s two populous countries, which remain at loggerheads concerning a range of regional issues. A study issued by the OCP Policy Center, a policy oriented think tank based in Rabat, surprisingly showed that Algeria is Morocco’s […]
Nouakchott in Danger of Being Swallowed by the Sea
Climate change is taking a toll on Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott coupled with rising sea levels, lack of sanitation and rising population growth, Alex Duval Smith wrote for the Guardian from Nouakchott. “Much of the city is at or below sea level, protected from the ocean only by an eroding dune,” deplored Smith who recommended moving […]
Winning Development Battle, Arab States’ Greatest Challenge
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI underscored that the greatest challenge thrown at Arab states lies in winning the battle for development, deeming that this goes through ensuring capacity-building, combating poverty and vulnerability and overcoming hurdles to inter-Arab economic and commercial cooperation. “The greatest challenge for us is to win the battle for development by making up […]
Arab Summit: King Mohammed VI Makes Case for Arab Unity
King Mohammed VI of Morocco made a strong case for reinforcing joint Arab action and unity in order to better address the multiple challenges facing stability, peace and development in the Arab region. This came in a speech readout on his behalf by Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar at the Arab Summit on Monday in Mauritania’s […]
Mauritania: Journalist Sentenced to Three Years in Jail for Hurling Shoe at Cabinet Spokesperson
Cheikh Baye ould Mohamed, a journalist and member of a youth movement opposed to the Mauritanian regime was handed a three-year prison sentence Thursday for hurling a shoe at the cabinet spokesperson end of last month at a weekly press briefing. The defendant’s lawyers said they would appeal the ruling they deem too harsh. Baye […]









