The president of Mauritania’s General Union of Prospectors, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould El Hassan, plans to request meetings with authorities in Morocco’s southern provinces next week during a stay in Laâyoune, a Mauritanian source told Hespress.
The talks aim to address repeated cases of Mauritanian gold prospectors crossing into Morocco’s buffer zone in the Sahara, exposing themselves to the risk of Moroccan drone strikes on unauthorized movements in the area.
The source said the first request would be for a meeting with the governor of Laâyoune–Sakia El Hamra, with possible follow-up discussions in Rabat to establish preventive mechanisms.
The issue has both security and humanitarian dimensions, as many prospectors are poor and unaware they have entered Moroccan territory due to the vast, lightly monitored border.
The union’s push comes ahead of the September resumption of artisanal mining activity, which is currently limited due to summer heat. Mauritanian mining syndicates have repeatedly urged their government to strengthen border control, erect army and gendarmerie checkpoints, and coordinate with Moroccan authorities to prevent illegal crossings, while warning members of the dangers and legal consequences of entering foreign territory.
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