Bouna Ahmedou Sow, a school director in Mauritania, highlights the major challenges facing education systems, including the lack of teacher training and inadequate infrastructure to keep up with population growth. Schools, often located in rented houses, are struggling to cope with the growing demand for students. Teachers have to manage overcrowded classes, especially with struggling students, while working in precarious conditions. Sow stresses the importance of creating a supportive environment for teachers with respected contracts and daily support. He advocates for infrastructure that keeps pace with demographic growth to ensure an effective and inclusive education system.

Education, Development, Infrastructures scolaires, Démographie

The mission report of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), carried out from February 26 to March 3, 2023, aims to improve the care pathway for vulnerable patients at the Outpatient Treatment Center (CTA) in Nouakchott and to strengthen the skills of caregivers for monitoring specific populations. The objectives include the promotion of sexual health, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as the prevention of cervical cancer and mother-to-child transmission of infections. The report highlights low overall health coverage in Mauritania, with only 60% of women giving birth in health facilities and vaccination coverage of around 60%. HIV prevalence is estimated at 0.29%, stable for ten years, except in Chami where an increase in the population has been observed. In gynecology/obstetrics, the National Hospital Center of Nouakchott (CHNN) has 50 beds and records 3,800 deliveries per year, with a cesarean rate of 37%, which is constantly increasing.

Governance, Public Administration, Health, Couverture sanitaire

Amnesty International’s 2023 annual report on Mauritania highlights several human rights concerns. In May, after the ruling party won legislative, regional and local elections, allegations of fraud were raised by some opposition parties. In December, former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. The report denounces cases of torture and ill-treatment, including the death in police custody of human rights defender Souvi Ould Jibril Ould Cheine in February, attributed to traumatic asphyxiation by strangulation. Freedom of expression has been restricted, with mobile internet cuts in June following protests, and during national reviews to prevent cheating. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has also highlighted the lack of thorough examination of proposals for a truth and reconciliation mechanism concerning human rights violations between 1989 and 1992.

Governance, Human Rights, Torture

The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Tomoya Obokata, visited Mauritania in May 2022 to assess contemporary forms of slavery in the country. His report highlights the persistence of descent-based slavery, forced labour and domestic servitude, which particularly affect the Haratine and Afro-Mauritanian communities. Despite progressive legislation, the implementation of anti-slavery laws remains inadequate, hampered by a lack of awareness of rights among victims and barriers to access to justice. The report highlights the socio-economic and political discrimination faced by former slaves and their descendants, exacerbated by the lack of official recognition of the racial and ethnic dimensions of slavery. The Special Rapporteur recommends the rigorous implementation of existing laws, sustained awareness-raising campaigns and the adoption of affirmative action measures to combat slavery.

Culture, Discrimination, Esclavage

The BTI 2024 Country Report: Mauritania by the Bertelsmann Stiftung examines President Ould Ghazouani's consolidation of power, characterized by controlling the ruling party, legally neutralizing former President Ould Abdel Aziz, and legitimizing authority through renewed official discourse. Despite improved communication, implemented policies have not led to significant changes. Economically, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have exposed Mauritania's vulnerability, relying on volatile international prices for main exports and cereal imports for food consumption. The upcoming natural gas production along the maritime border with Senegal holds promise but continues a trend of investments in the extractive sector with limited impact on the overall economy. Historically, since its independence in 1960, Mauritania has faced socio-economic and political challenges, including severe droughts in the 1970s, tensions between Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic-speaking communities, and a series of military coups.

Bribery, Security, Election, Human Rights, Hyperprésidentialisme

The WATHI article examines the growing threat posed by Islamist extremists to Ghana, Togo, and Benin. In 2023, Togo experienced 14 attacks resulting in 66 deaths, demonstrating the persistent ability of extremist groups to carry out deadly actions. Despite significant regional interventions, current strategies to combat violent extremism in coastal West Africa remain insufficient. The root causes of extremism, such as the systemic exclusion of marginalized ethnic groups, notably the Fulani, are not adequately addressed, exacerbating the situation. Ghana, neighboring Benin and Togo, has implemented measures to prevent such attacks, including increased assistance from international partners. However, the presence and influence of extremist organizations linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State continue to expand in the north of the country, recruiting hundreds of Ghanaians to fight in regional conflicts and beyond. This expansion of extremism in the three West African coastal countries persists despite considerable efforts to prevent the spread of extremist groups from the Sahel into their northern regions.

Jihad, Terrorism, Extremism, Violence

In this op-ed published on March 15, 2023, Jean‑Pierre Olivier de Sardan questions the effectiveness of security strategies in the Sahel. Jihadism is spreading not only in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, but also into northern regions of coastal countries like Benin, Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire . Where state authority has collapsed, jihadist groups have imposed a “de facto government” based on extortion, propaganda, and terror. He notes that military responses, including Operation Barkhane, have failed to halts their expansion . Instead, he advocates for a comprehensive approach: strengthening public services, restoring a protective state, offering alternatives for jihadist defectors, engaging in negotiations with moderate insurgents, and supporting rural development and humanitarian aid. The core argument stresses the need for people‑centered security rather than a standalone military focus.

Governance, Security, Jihad, Services publics

The White Paper of Civil Society for Peace and Security in Mali offers an in-depth analysis of security issues in Mali, drawing on the perceptions of local populations. It criticizes purely military solutions and encourages an inclusive approach combining economic investment, community dialogue and collaboration with anthropologists. The notion of security is broadened to include the protection of property and people, going beyond the military framework to include human security. The recommendations call for public policies adapted to social and local realities to resolve the crisis in a sustainable manner.

Peace, Human security, Civil Society