Latest news with #MohamedCheikhOuldElGhazouani
Ya Biladi
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Mauritania stands firm : President rejects Polisario's plea to reopen Lebriga border
Mauritanian President Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani has rejected the Polisario's request to reverse the decision to close the Lebriga region, located on the border with Algeria—a measure implemented by the Mauritanian army on May 21. «This refusal was communicated to the head of the Front's delegation, which traveled to Nouakchott on Friday following mediation by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune», a source close to the matter told Yabiladi. The Polisario delegation remains in Mauritania. On Sunday, they met with Sid Ahmed Ould Mohamed, the secretary-general of the Insaf Party (Equity), which is affiliated with President Ould El Ghazouani. Meanwhile, Sahrawis living in the Tindouf camps expressed their skepticism on Sunday, June 1, through audio messages, questioning «the Mauritanian army's ability to secure its borders». They stressed that achieving this objective «necessarily requires the support of the Sahrawi Republic and Algeria». Some even accompanied their «analyses» with threats against Mauritania's economic interests.
Ya Biladi
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Mauritanian army closes off area near Tindouf Camps
The Mauritanian army has announced the closure of the Lebriga region, located near the Algerian border. This area, situated in northeastern Mauritania close to the Tindouf camps, has been declared off-limits to civilians, according to a media report from Nouakchott on Thursday, echoed by outlets in the United Arab Emirates. A Mauritanian military source explained that the move aims to «contain the consequences of security chaos and put an end to illegal activities, particularly organized smuggling, in the region». «With this decision, Mauritania seeks to reaffirm its sovereignty over its borders and reinforce its military presence in areas that have long remained outside direct control, at a time when security threats in the Sahel are mounting and regional and international interests increasingly intersect». Algerian ambassador meets with Mauritanian Defense Minister The announcement follows the recent dismantling of a drug trafficking network involving cocaine, cannabis, and psychotropics, in which Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps and Mauritanian nationals were implicated. The investigation remains ongoing. As a reminder, on January 6, 2021, the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani, adopted a draft law establishing a «sensitive defense zone» in northern Mauritania. The law defined the coordinates of this sparsely populated region, which authorities warned could serve as a corridor for terrorists, drug traffickers, and organized criminal groups. The move was followed by military exercises in March 2021 in the Tiris Zemmour region. Later that year, the Ministry of Defense inaugurated new facilities at the Lemreyya base, deployed surveillance radars in Zouerate, and launched an air control and information center in F'Derik, near the Tindouf camps. The declaration banning civilian access to Lebriga was promptly followed by a meeting on Thursday, May 22, between Mauritanian Defense Minister Hanana Ould Sidi and the Algerian ambassador to Nouakchott, Amine Said. According to a statement from the Mauritanian army, the talks «focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them, particularly in the field of defense».
Ya Biladi
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Mauritanian army closes off area near Tindouf Camps
The Mauritanian army has announced the closure of the Lebriga region, located near the Algerian border. This area, situated in northeastern Mauritania close to the Tindouf camps, has been declared off-limits to civilians, according to a media report from Nouakchott on Thursday, echoed by outlets in the United Arab Emirates. A Mauritanian military source explained that the move aims to «contain the consequences of security chaos and put an end to illegal activities, particularly organized smuggling, in the region». «With this decision, Mauritania seeks to reaffirm its sovereignty over its borders and reinforce its military presence in areas that have long remained outside direct control, at a time when security threats in the Sahel are mounting and regional and international interests increasingly intersect». Algerian ambassador meets with Mauritanian Defense Minister The announcement follows the recent dismantling of a drug trafficking network involving cocaine, cannabis, and psychotropics, in which Sahrawis from the Tindouf camps and Mauritanian nationals were implicated. The investigation remains ongoing. As a reminder, on January 6, 2021, the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Mohamed Cheikh Ould El Ghazouani, adopted a draft law establishing a «sensitive defense zone» in northern Mauritania. The law defined the coordinates of this sparsely populated region, which authorities warned could serve as a corridor for terrorists, drug traffickers, and organized criminal groups. The move was followed by military exercises in March 2021 in the Tiris Zemmour region. Later that year, the Ministry of Defense inaugurated new facilities at the Lemreyya base, deployed surveillance radars in Zouerate, and launched an air control and information center in F'Derik, near the Tindouf camps. The declaration banning civilian access to Lebriga was promptly followed by a meeting on Thursday, May 22, between Mauritanian Defense Minister Hanana Ould Sidi and the Algerian ambassador to Nouakchott, Amine Said. According to a statement from the Mauritanian army, the talks «focused on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them, particularly in the field of defense».
