Mauritania has denied making any territorial claim over Lagouira, at the southern end of Morocco’s Sahara provinces, following reports linking a Mauritanian proposal to clarify its northern borders to possible claims over the area.
Government spokesperson Mohamed Ould Bebana said Wednesday evening that Nouakchott had no territorial dispute with its neighbors, particularly Morocco, and warned against interpreting proposals discussed during UN-sponsored negotiations as claims the Mauritanian government had never formally made.
“Our relations with our neighbors and brothers exceed expectations. Thank God, we have no dispute with any neighboring country, particularly to the north,” Bebana told reporters following a cabinet meeting in Nouakchott.
A border proposal, not a territorial claim
The clarification follows renewed discussion of a Mauritanian proposal mentioned in UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ October report on the Sahara, which outlined Nouakchott’s interest in establishing a consensual mechanism to clarify the territory’s final international boundaries.
Media reports subsequently connected the proposal to Lagouira, near Mauritania’s economic hub of Nouadhibou, prompting speculation that Nouakchott was seeking control over the area.
Bebana rejected that interpretation, saying the proposal sought to prevent uncertainties that could produce security, legal or economic consequences.
“It should not be interpreted as expressing claims that Mauritania has not officially made,” he said, adding that the country’s position remained committed to a peaceful settlement under United Nations auspices.
Mauritanian politician urges restraint
Ahmed Ould Abeid, vice-president of Mauritania’s Sawab Party, also dismissed suggestions that the controversy threatened relations between Rabat and Nouakchott.
Speaking to Hespress, he described Moroccan-Mauritanian relations as rooted in shared history, neighboring ties and mutual economic and security interests.
“Relations between Mauritania and Morocco are bigger than media speculation,” he said, urging commentators to distinguish official policy from interpretations circulating in the press.
He called for expanded cooperation in trade, investment and security, arguing that the two countries should concentrate on common regional challenges rather than allegations unsupported by formal government statements.
The controversy has attracted attention because Lagouira lies close to Nouadhibou, whose port and commercial activities are closely connected to developments along the Atlantic coast.
Mauritania’s proposal, as described in reporting on the UN document, calls for clarification of international boundaries through agreement among the parties. It does not explicitly identify Lagouira as territory being claimed by Nouakchott.
Mauritania has maintained a policy of what it calls positive neutrality in the Sahara dispute, participating in UN-backed discussions while preserving relations with Morocco and other regional parties.
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