Mesgharou Ould Sidi Leghweizi, the director general of national security of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, was received by Abdellatif Hammouchi, the director general of national security and territorial surveillance, on Tuesday, September 27, in Rabat. Mesgharou is leading a sizeable  security delegation on a work visit to Morocco.

According to a statement from the Directorate General of National Security, the discussions between Hammouchi and his mauritanian counterpart allowed for an assessment of the various facets and levels of bilateral security cooperation as well as an examination of the potential mechanisms for enhancing and diversifying this cooperation and combining and coordinating efforts to address security challenges in a shared regional environment (DGSN).

According to the statement, the two parties also stressed the significance of intensifying their cooperation in areas such as police training, the sharing of knowledge, skills, and best practices in the security sector, as well as the exchange of information that enables them to counter various risks and threats to the security of their respective nations and the safety of their citizens.

The central directors of the DGSN and DGST also had the chance to meet with their counterparts from Mauritius during this conference to discuss operational cooperation and technical support in the different domains and security specialties that they both share an interest in.

This meeting follows a similar visit to Morocco in 2020, illustrating the vital importance of bilateral Moroccan-Mauritanian cooperation in the security sector as a model of successful and ongoing South-South cooperation, according to the same source, who also notes that it reflects the firm and unwavering determination to confront security challenges and threats in accordance with a common vision.

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A source told AFP on Wednesday that Morocco had not targeted and would not target any Algerian, regardless of the circumstances or provocations.

Following the announcement by the Algerian presidency that three Algerians had been killed in a bombing attributed to Moroccan armed forces in the Moroccan desert, a source who preferred anonymity confirmed that the Kingdom would not be drawn into a war with its neighbor Algeria, commenting on what he described as “free accusations.”

“Morocco does not desire conflict if Algeria does.” Morocco will not be drawn into a spiral of violence that threatens the region’s peace by criticizing “free charges” leveled against the country.

“If Algeria wishes to provoke and threaten the area into war, Morocco will not go after it,” continued.

After all previous attempts to provoke Morocco did fail, the Algerian regime appears to have tried a new tactic, promoted a bogus bombing and accused Morocco of being behind it.

Based on the Algerian Lies Agency, which is run by the military regimes, three Algerians were murdered in a bombing of trucks traveling between Mauritania and Algeria, which was blamed on Morocco.

Since yesterday, this charge has been based on the dissemination of photographs of burnt truck structures caused by the outbreak of fire, as well as the absence of rocket bombing indicators nearby.

According to the Agency, “three Algerian citizens were bombed as they traveled between Nouakchott and Ouargla as part of customary trading amongst the peoples of the region.”

Morocco was accused of targeting trucks “with a sophisticated weapon,” according to the agency specializing in deception and fabrication.

The desert road connecting Nouakchott and Ouargla runs around 3500 kilometers.

The Algerian presidency stated in a statement that “their assassination will not go unpunished.” On the other hand, Mauritanian army denied there had been any bombardment in the area in a statement.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, said during his meeting, today, Monday, with his Mauritanian counterpart, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, that relations between the two countries have evolved dramatically since the current president took office.

During this high level meeting, Morocco announced its intention to raise the level of economic cooperation between the two countries “to become at the level of political coordination,” as the two ministers discussed the possibility of holding a joint supreme committee and changing representation in the follow-up committee, to become at the level of foreign ministers instead of delegates.

The Moroccan minister also stressed the need to boost sectoral cooperation and mobilize economic actors.

For his part, Mauritanian Foreign Minister Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that his country’s relations with Morocco in recent years “took a leap forward”, expressing his country’s ambition to advance, especially in the field of trade exchanges.

On a different note, Ould Cheikh expressed Mauritania’s appreciation for what Morocco offers, especially in the field of training Mauritanian executives, as the Kingdom receives hundreds of Mauritanian students annually.

As for cooperation, the Mauritanian minister reaffirmed the existence of a strong political will to develop relations, which must be followed by investments and job opportunities, because the economic cooperation between the two countries “is not at the level of the political ambition that we share today.”

It should be noted that Ould Sheikh Ahmed was scheduled to pay an official visit to Morocco carrying a message from President Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani to His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the end of last March, but it was suddenly announced that the visit would be postponed to a later time without providing explanations, at a time when diplomatic sources denied the existence of a crisis between the two countries.

The postponement of the previous visit of Ould Cheikh to Morocco coincided with Mauritania’s official reception of Bachir Mustapha Sayed, advisor to the leader of the separatist Polisario Front, in charge of political affairs.

Morocco did not comment on that visit, but Sahrawi and Mauritanian activists  sent a protest letter to the Mauritanian president, addressing the involvement of Mustapha Sayed in gross human rights violations in Tindouf camps.

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Mauritanian Foreign Minister, Ismail Ould Cheikh’s postponed visit to Morocco until further notice was due on Wednesday, March 31, unveils the existence of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Mauritanian media said last Tuesday that Mauritanian foreign minister will visit Rabat on Wednesday as an envoy of the Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazoani.

The same sources added that the foreign minister had a letter from the president to the His Majesty, King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, as well as he intended entailing different discussions with Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita.

Informed sources pointed out that Morocco’s refusal of Mauritania’s mediation in the issue of the Moroccan Sahara stems from Morocco’s conviction that there must be no sitting around tables with representatives of separatist “Polisario” simply because they lack the legal status.

The sources added that Morocco requested that Mauritania takes a neutral stand in the issue of the fabricated conflict in the Moroccan Sahara.

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Nouakchott has not acknowledged or supported the efforts of the separatist “Polisario” front as they had left “Polisario” representative hanging for days before being received.

After waiting for so long to be received by Mauritanian President and only after special mediation from Algeria, the President of the Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Sheik Al-Ghazwani, has finally decided to receive the so-called Foreign Minister of the Separatist front “Polisario”, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek.

In its report on this meeting, the Mauritanian News Agency has not released any details of negotiations about the regional situation and the question of  Guerguerat Crossing or ceasefire agreement by separatist “Polisario”. They have only mentioned that separatist chief, Ibrahim Ghali, has sent Muhammad Ould Sheik Al-Ghazwani a written letter. They have also issued a short press release of Ould Salek.

This shift in Mauritania dealing with Separatist “Polisario” had taken place after His Majesty King of Morocco Mohamed VI and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Sheik Al-Ghazwani discussed recent developments in the region and how to improve political, economic, and security bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries. They had also tackled the ramifications of the blockade of Guerguerat Crossing by Separatist Polisario and and how it had negatively affected the Mauritanian economy and people.

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Member companies of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) can now obtain a multi-entry business visa to Mauritania with a validity period of two years, the Confederation announced on Monday.

This visa is issued subject to the presentation of an application signed by the CGEM, indicates the Employers in a letter addressed to its members. “By submitting your visa application file to the Mauritanian Embassy in Rabat, we invite you to attach the CGEM certificate that you can obtain by submitting your application by email to adherents@cgem.ma,” declared the same source.

Recalling that, in the context of strengthening business relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Confederation has asked the Mauritanian authorities, the granting of longer visa with multiple entries on behalf of the member companies of the Confederation.

On October 15, a meeting was held in Casablanca between the president of the CGEM, Chakib Alj, and the president of the National Union of Mauritanian Patronage (UNPM), Mohamed Zein El Abidine Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in the presence in particular of the Ambassador of Mauritania to Morocco. On this occasion, CGEM and UNPM committed themselves to promoting bilateral economic relations and strengthening the links between the private sectors of the two countries.

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Nouakchott – according to what the Mauritanian presidency reported, the former president of Mauritania, Sidi Mohammed Ould Sheikh Abdullah, died at the age of 82, on Sunday night – Monday, in Nouakchott.

The Mauritanian presidency declared a three-day national mourning following his death.

Sidi Mohammed Ould Sheikh Abdullah, who was born in 1938, took over the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania from April 19, 2007 to August 6, 2008.

The late also held several positions, including Minister of State in charge of economics, in Mukhtar Ould Daddah government (1971 – 1978). In 1986, he was appointed as Minister of Water and Energy, then Economy and Fishing in the time of former president Maaouiya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya.

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HM King Mohammed VI phone called yesterday, Friday, his brother Mohammed Ould Sheikh Al-Ghazwani, president of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

During this call, the leaders of both countries expressed their great satisfaction with the rapid development in the process of bilateral cooperation, and their strong desire to strengthen and advance it so as to deepen it, expand its horizons, and diversify its fields.

This phone call was also an occasion to discuss the latest regional development.

On this occasion, His Majesty expressed his willingness to pay the Islamic Republic an official visit, and invited the president to visit his second country, the Kingdom of Morocco

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The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs will set up a large mosque in the border center of Guerguerat at an estimated cost of 8 million dirhams.

Aousserd regional prefect, Abderrahman Jawhari, said that the constructional work of this mosque, which will open its doors within 12 months, started today, Wednesday, on the occasion of the 65^th Anniversary of the Kingdom’s Independence Day.

The project, which will be built on an area of 3,767 square meters, includes a prayer hall for men, one for women, rooms for ablution, a minaret and house for the Imam.

The representative of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in Al-Dakhla – Oued Dahab Region, Abdelkader Alioui, said in a statement to Maghreb Arab News Agency that the construction of this mosque comes in response to the concern that the believers can perform their religious duties in good conditions and cope with the urban development dynamics known by Guerguerat border and the Bir Gandouz community.

Aliwi added that this religious edifice will be constructed in respect of the norms of Islamic architecture in accordance with the High Instructions of his Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the believers.

The Bir Gandouz border Center has seen significant socio-economic development in the recent years, due to its strategic geographical position on the Moroccan-Mauritanian border.

In addition to the interests of the State, many contractors have established branches at this center to provide services to both travelers and inhabitants.

Moreover, about 200 trucks cross this road-axis daily on their way to Mauritania and the rest of West African countries.

The movement of goods and people at Guerguerat border crossing resumed last Saturday, after the Royal Armed forces’ firm intervention against Polisario militias in the buffer zone after they broke into it on October 21, and blocked traffic between Morocco and Mauritania.

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Separatist “Polisario” militia, for the sixth day in a row, continue to close the Guerguarat crossing in the face of commercial and civil traffic to and from the Kingdom of Morocco; in the context of its repeated provocations in the region and its endeavor to pressure the international community.

Dozens of trucks were piled up on the sides of the road, as well as private vehicles waiting for what is going to happen.

It is indicated that numerous trucks spend their last hours in the region before going back, again, to the Kingdom of Morocco; owing to the losses the products suffered as a result of waiting for six consecutive days, under the sun, without any solution.

On their part, civil Mauritanian activists called on the government to take a firm decision about the closure of the crossing, asking Mauritania to withdraw recognition of the Polisario Front as a response to the blockade it imposed on the country due to closing the crossing; emphasizing that their country is suffering from the repercussions of the shutdown, which threatens the economy and merchant activity with recession.

The Mauritanian activists asked about the results achieved from the recognition of the Polisario Front since 1980s, that returned the favor with a stab in the back by cutting the Mauritanian economic lifeline and causing the blockade to Mauritanian people, the opposite of the Kingdom of Morocco which seeks every opportunity to embody brotherly relations with them and enhance the two countries’ openness to each other.

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