Morocco and Mauritania strengthen military and security cooperation to confront terrorism
In order to boost bilateral military partnership, Lieutenant General Mohamed Bariz, Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, met with his Mauritanian counterpart, the Commander of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mokhtar Bellah Chaabane.
Both expressed their willingness to strengthen joint cooperation to control and protect the common border, especially after the bombing of the Moroccan town of Smara by the Polisario Front.
For years, Morocco and Mauritania have had several cooperation agreements in the fight against terrorism, as well as in combating organised crime, criminal gangs, drug trafficking and arms trafficking. This collaboration is based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the Mauritanian-Moroccan Joint Military Committee was created to strengthen bilateral relations in the field of defence.
To further foster this partnership, the two sides held a working session of the Joint Military Committee last week in Nouakchott, where they discussed "military and security cooperation and issues of concern to the security and stability of the region".
As the General Command of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces pointed out in a statement, this meeting aims to "improve bilateral military cooperation in various fields of joint training and education".
During the meeting, the Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces praised the quality of Moroccan-Mauritanian cooperation and its positive results in the field of security and defence, stressing the importance of increasing the exchange of experience and knowledge between the armed forces of the two neighbouring nations and thus contributing to the promotion of security and stability in the region.
The meeting in the Mauritanian capital was also an opportunity for the two sides to jointly plan activities in the run-up to 2024. It was also held ahead of the launch of a Mauritanian consulate in Casablanca, following the directives of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
Diplomatic sources have confirmed to Al-Arab that the new diplomatic representation will start its functions in the coming days, affirming also that this step is part of the continuous improvement of relations between Morocco and Mauritania since Ghazouani came to power, as the current president has taken a series of measures to restore relations between the two nations.
Nouakchott has on numerous occasions expressed his desire to strengthen relations with Rabat and develop relations in a way that serves the common interests of the Moroccan and Mauritanian peoples, as he considers the Kingdom to be a strong and strategic partner at the regional level.
After the Smara attacks, Morocco and Mauritania are ready to boost the anti-terrorist partnership
Analysts consulted by Al Arab linked this meeting to the recent attacks by the Polisario Front in the town of Smara that left one dead and three wounded. After the Sahrawi group claimed responsibility, Morocco's representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, described the attack as "a terrorist act and the threat of those involved in it".
Mohamed El-Ghali, professor of political science at the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, points out to the Arab media that this meeting is "within the framework of cooperation and partnership relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Mauritania", stressing that this cooperation includes economic, social, political, security and military aspects.
"The visit comes after the events that took place in the city of Smara, terrorist incidents related to leaks at the common border," he added.
According to El-Ghali, this meeting will "undoubtedly" confirm the need to control the borders and protect them from all those who try to carry out such terrorist acts "to plunge the region into instability". For this reason, "partnership and cooperation is a priority to control borders and prevent all forms of crime that can affect people", he adds.
On the other hand, this meeting comes at a time when Moroccan-Mauritanian relations are marked by stability, something that has materialised through a series of mutual visits by members of the governments of the two countries, as well as the holding of a series of high-level meetings on military, security, political, economic, cultural and sporting issues.
The meeting also coincides with a number of developments in both the Sahel and Sahara regions, especially following the UN Security Council session on the Sahara and the adoption of Resolution 2703.
Likewise, this meeting between the two military leaders "confirms the strategy of cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and Mauritania in various fields, as well as confirming that facing all challenges requires partnership," explains El-Ghali.
Both countries are committed to boosting and promoting security and stability in North Africa, as well as in the Sahel, since Mauritania shares a border with Mali and Senegal.
Therefore, if "efforts are not combined and coordinated, risks could pose a threat to the security and protection of citizens within each of these two countries," he says.
