The Mauritanian army is preparing a large-scale military operation in the coming weeks to secure the country’s northern borders, according to informed Hespress AR Mauritanian sources.
The operation aims to monitor movements in the vast, sparsely patrolled region, which some local prospectors exploit to cross into neighboring territories in search of gold and other minerals. Armed foreign elements have also reportedly used the area to enter and exit Mauritanian territory freely.
The operation will be overseen by a high-level military delegation led by the chief of staff of the Mauritanian Armed Forces, alongside other senior commanders, sources said.
Mauritanian forces will establish checkpoints along the 2,500-kilometer northern border, from the Klib N’dour area in the far north to Bir Am Kren, and will create a 10-kilometer restricted military zone along the frontier, accessible only to the army. The operation will also extend to the border with northern Mali.
Sources noted that the northern borders, particularly in the desert, have been poorly secured, with reports indicating that Polisario Front elements have entered Mauritanian territory, using it as a base to target Moroccan forces.
The military initiative also seeks to prevent local prospectors from entering the buffer zones in the desert, where they risk drone strikes by Moroccan forces. Authorities have repeatedly called on prospectors to limit mining activities within Mauritania’s borders, but compliance has been limited.
The operation is expected to coincide with the resumption of gold prospecting in mid-October, after the rainy season hampers activity in wells due to water accumulation and soil fragility, sources said.
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