Algerian media La Patrie, close to the Algerian regime, criticized Mauritania over the planned opening of a new international border crossing linking the Moroccan city of Smara to the northern Mauritanian town of Bir Moghrein via the Amagala region.
The outlet accused the United Arab Emirates of being behind this strategic plan to strengthen Moroccan influence and reshape regional alliances, describing it as a “departure from Nouakchott’s traditional neutrality on the Sahara issue.”
Algerian media warned of “deeper geopolitical, economic, and security implications of the project, and of growing Emirati penetration that could tie Mauritania to a complex web of interests serving a broader Moroccan–Emirati agenda.”
It highlighted the UAE’s strengthened influence in Mauritania through investments in ports and mining, accusing “these projects of being used as a cover for gold-smuggling networks from Darfur, as well as for financial flows and the transfer of light arms to the Sahel region.”
The new route is expected to facilitate the movement of people and goods, reduce isolation in northern Mauritania, ease pressure on the Guerguerat crossing, and diversify regional trade routes.
Mauritania has already approved the crossing, stressing that the road linking Smara to the Mauritanian border is nearing completion.
The new road project is a strategic route designed to give landlocked African countries access to the Atlantic Ocean through Morocco’s southern regions, while strengthening national infrastructure and boosting economic development in border areas.
It aims to support local economic activities, stimulate trade and services, and create new job opportunities that improve living conditions and enhance stability in border communities in the Samara region.
The project, which is now 95% complete, also aims to reduce the distance from the Mauritanian border, lower logistics costs and transit times, and promote greater economic flow and effective integration into regional supply chains.
It spans 93 kilometers and is 6 meters wide, linking the two countries with a total cost of around MAD 49.72 million.
Rabat sees the new crossing as a bridge for regional integration and trade, while Algerian media call it a strategic move to cement Moroccan presence in the Sahara and redraw the regional balance, warning it could pull Mauritania into new political and economic alignments.
Sheikh Ahmed Amine, director of Anbaa Info, told Hespress AR that the Algerian media escalation reflects political, geopolitical, and developmental concerns, even if these are not clearly documented in their coverage.
He mentioned that the main factor is political, explaining that Algeria views Mauritania’s rapprochement with Morocco and new UAE partnerships as moves that could weaken its stance on the Sahara. “Algerian media frame this as part of a counter axis with Morocco and the UAE, without concrete evidence,” he added.
The second factor is the development aspect. The journalist said that Mauritania has launched major gas and infrastructure projects with UAE support and Moroccan companies, which Algerian media portray as economic penetration used to expand political influence.
Sheikh Ahmed Amine added that regional geopolitical shifts, the weakening of the Arab Maghreb Union, rising Gulf influence, and Morocco–Algeria competition, make Mauritania appear to leverage the gap, which Algerian media read as alignment rather than diversification.
He concluded that the attack lacks a legal or factual basis, stemming instead from fears that Morocco and UAE-backed development in Mauritania could shift regional influence, prompting a geopolitical lens even on purely economic projects.
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