Mauritania orders miners to withdraw from border areas amid security tensions

Mauritanian authorities have ordered traditional gold prospectors to vacate all mining sites located within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the Mauritania-Algeria border, citing rising security concerns following recent tensions involving armed elements linked to the Polisario Front.

The decision was announced Tuesday by Idrissa Demba Kourera, governor of the northern province of Tiris Zemmour, during a field visit to several border mining areas alongside the commander of the country’s Second Military Region. Prospectors were given a deadline of one week to comply.

Kourera stressed the need for strict adherence to safety measures, respect for mining corridors designated by the state-run Mauritanian Mining Agency, and confinement of mining activity within national territory. While reaffirming the government’s support for artisanal mining, he said operations must fully comply with laws and official directives.

The move comes amid a fragile security environment in northern Mauritania, where areas officially classified as off-limits to civilians were previously opened on an exceptional basis to Mauritanian miners by presidential decree, due to their economic importance and role as a source of income for hundreds of young people.

That exceptional access is now increasingly challenged by security risks, fueled by movements of armed groups operating near the buffer zone and around the Tindouf camps in southwestern Algeria, according to regional observers.

In recent years, the border region has attracted growing numbers of prospectors, as it is considered one of the most promising surface-gold belts in the area. The influx has led to repeated incidents, while Nouakchott and Algiers have released limited official information about developments on the ground.

Mauritanian miners have called for stronger security guarantees, citing what they describe as repeated and unjustified attacks. Many say artisanal mining represents a vital livelihood for young people from across the country.

Analysts say the incidents underscore persistent instability in and around the buffer zone east and south of Morocco’s southern provinces, where violent episodes have been reported in recent months. Regional security experts warn that unregulated armed movements exploiting porous borders pose a growing threat to stability.

‘A Sovereign Decision’

Commenting on the measure, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Hassan Al-Alawi, head of the General Union of Mauritanian Prospectors, said the withdrawal order is “a sovereign decision with no possibility of reversal,” as conveyed by the provincial governor.

“Security and national stability come before gold, diamonds or any other mineral,” Al-Alawi told Hespress, adding that prospectors, as law-abiding citizens, do not oppose state decisions.

However, he said the main issue lies in the impact on miners who have operated for years in established and licensed sites and were surprised by simultaneous interventions by the army and national guard in areas they believe are not covered by the new decision.

Al-Alawi said some of the affected mining sites have been active for nearly six years, operate within approved frameworks and provide direct income to large numbers of Mauritanian miners. He warned that a sudden halt to operations could have serious social and economic consequences.

He added that prospectors have asked authorities to review the decision and clarify its exemptions, stressing that anyone violating national territory or mining laws should be held accountable, without penalizing compliant miners.

According to Al-Alawi, authorities have already exempted certain areas, particularly in Zegoula and Bir Oum Egrein, allowing mining activity to continue there — a move he welcomed as easing tensions. He said unresolved issues remain in other affected zones and called for a comprehensive solution balancing security needs with miners’ livelihoods.

Preventive Security Approach

Sheikh Ahmed Amin, editor of the Mauritanian news outlet Anbaa Info, said the evacuation order reflects a preventive security approach driven by rapidly evolving conditions in the country’s north.

He said the measure follows confrontations between Mauritanian miners and armed Polisario elements, making it necessary to secure the border area and allow the armed forces to carry out their duties.

Amin said the joint visit by the provincial governor and the military commander signaled the seriousness of the authorities’ response and their effort to communicate the decision directly to affected miners.

He added that restricting mining to officially designated corridors aligns with Mauritania’s regional and international obligations and aims to prevent incidents that could heighten tensions with neighboring countries or be exploited by non-state armed groups.

“The real challenge,” Amin said, “is achieving a careful balance between border security and the continuation of artisanal mining as a key source of income for thousands of families.”