Importance of Mauritania in countering Sahel terrorist groups

Ahmed Adel

Mauritania plays a prominent role in the field of combating terrorism in Africa’s Sahel and Sahara region, as French Special Envoy for the Sahel Region Frederic Bontemps expressed his satisfaction with the distinguished level of cooperation between Paris and Nouakchott on the one hand, and between France and the G5 Sahel on the other.

In statements after a meeting with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in Nouakchott on Wednesday, October 7, Bontemps expressed his country’s satisfaction with the cooperation between Mauritania, the G5 Sahel states, and the Sahel Alliance.

Bontemps said that he began his tour of the region in Mauritania due to its capacity as the rotating chair of the G5 Sahel, as well as its capacity as hosting the headquarters of the group’s permanent secretariat.

He pointed out that he came to Mauritania on two missions, one as France’s special envoy to the Sahel and the other in his temporary capacity as secretary-general of the Sahel Alliance, which includes a group of countries tackling a multi-tiered approach to solving the Sahel’s issues, noting that he met with Mauritania’s ministers of economy, foreign affairs and defense.

Also in Nouakchott and with the same goal, Christopher Harnisch, deputy coordinator for the US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, discussed urgent issues related to combating terrorism, according to a statement from the department.

Harnisch also discussed the issue of foreign terrorists moving to areas in West Africa and the role that governments and civil society play in the region to combat terrorism.

According to the official Mauritanian News Agency, Harnisch’s meetings with Mauritania’s ministers of defense, interior and foreign affairs focused on issues of common interest and ways to unify regional and international efforts to enhance security and stability in the Sahel region.

Security file

The international officials’ visits to Mauritania, which focused on the security file in the Sahel, coincided with Nouakchott’s hosting of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the G5, which aims to assess the group’s action plans and achievements.

Mauritania, which chairs the session, noted the appointment of a new transitional president in Mali, in addition to commending the appointment of a first minister and a new government in that country, which belongs to the G5.

Nouakchott also appreciated the urgent measures taken by the G5 Sahel countries to address the outbreak of the Covid-19 corona virus and its economic and social repercussions, praising the support of the group’s international partners for the plans to address this pandemic.

Mauritania also highlighted the great importance of the launch of the Sahel Alliance at the Sahel-European Union summit in April, as well as the intense diplomatic activity that followed in an effort to mobilize this alliance.

Return of stability

In September, Mauritania received US Special Envoy for the Sahel Peter Pham at the start of his tour of the region, during which he discussed ways to restore stability in Mali and the security challenges in the region.

In statements to the Mauritanian News Agency following his meeting with President Ghazouani, Pham stressed the need to prevent repercussions that may lead to more instability in other regions of West Africa.

Pham considered that US diplomatic efforts in the Sahel region aim to help West African governments deal with insecurity, contain the spread of violence, and achieve stability in the region.

He also referred to his mission as the first US special envoy for the Sahel region, which reflects Washington’s commitment to the region by improving coordination with international and regional partners and international organizations.

Mauritania is presiding over the current session of the G5 Sahel group, which also includes Mali, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso.

The regional group, which seeks joint coordination on terrorism and security issues, was established in 2014 under an initiative of the heads of regional countries facing common security and development challenges.

Tireless efforts

Mauritania has also mobilized the efforts of scholars and religious bodies to dismantle the extremist discourse and present Islam in its moderation. In 2019, it hosted a scholarly conference on confronting extremist currents and hate speech in the Muslim community.

The Mauritanian government has also enacted several laws consistent with human rights principles in terms of defining terrorism, its objectives, its operational methods and forms (attacks, hostages, money laundering, etc.), strengthening prevention, simplifying procedures, and establishing specialized counterterrorism courts.