Summary:

On 28 January 2025, the General Delegate in charge of armaments for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, Emmanuel Chiva, met with the Mauritanian Defense Minister Hanena Ould Sidi in Mauritania to discuss French support to Mauritania’s military. 

The two officials discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries in security and defense matters. According to French media outlet, France24, France delivered combat vehicles, motorcycles, military engineering vehicles, fuel tanks, as well as vehicles and mobile repair shops to Mauritania during the visit. 

Meanwhile, NATO’s Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood, Javier Colomina, met the Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, and the Minister of Defense to discuss NATO’s relations with Mauritania and developments in the Sahel region. 

Previously in December, Mauritania received military equipment from both NATO and the European Union (EU) including trucks, tactical vehicles, a field hospital, communications equipment, drones, and surveillance equipment.  

Outlook: 

Recent visits and equipment deliveries to Mauritania by Western officials point to growing military cooperation with Mauritania amid regional challenges, including Russian influence in the Sahel and regional tensions between Algeria and its North African and European neighbors. 

Military support to Mauritania can serve to deter non-state armed groups in the region from entering Mauritanian territory. The latest threats from the Western Sahara-based Polisario Front after Mauritania’s agreements with Morocco will serve as further justification for enhancing the capacity of the Mauritanian military. 

The surveillance equipment received will likely be used to support Mauritanian efforts to curb irregular migration which aligns well with European efforts to manage migration further from EU borders in North and West Africa . 

However, the Mauritanian rapprochement with France is likely to provoke hostile attitudes from Sahelian states, especially Mali. The relations between France and Mauritania may also prompt a colder approach from Algeria when dealing with Mauritania especially after the latter’s economic deals with Morocco and rumors of pressures on Mauritania to normalize relations with Israel.  

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