Nouakchott finds itself in a state of agitation following the recent visit on February 8th by a European delegation led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SANCHEZ and Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission.
During the visit, Mauritania signed a partnership agreement with the EU to combat irregular migration, which includes the repatriation of undocumented Mauritanian migrants. In exchange, Mauritania will receive over 500 million euros in aid, as well as projects in the transportation and energy sectors.
However, this agreement has been met with strong opposition from the political class and civil society, who denounce what they perceive as contempt from the European Union and the weakness of the government.
Samory Ould Beye, a prominent opinion leader and unionist, who serves as the Secretary General of the Free Confederation of Workers of Mauritania (CLTM), expressed concerns about the agreement. He stated, “This agreement targets the territorial integrity of Mauritania as well as the nation’s supreme interests. It involves us in an agreement whose consequences we cannot bear, and which will destabilize our country. They target this country because they believe it is fragile and that certain policies and visions can be imposed on it in line with their interests.”
The Mauritanian police dispersed a demonstration organized by the “Kafana” movement, which called for the cancellation of the agreement and rejected “the sale of Mauritania with the aim of making it an alternative homeland for illegal immigrants.”
