Mauritania is adopting a humanitarian strategy to bolster its connections with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a coalition established in September 2023 by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This approach was underscored by the participation of Safia mint N'Tahah, Mauritania's Minister of Social Work, Childhood, and Family, in a "humanitarian forum" held last week in Bamako. Organizers of the event stated that the meeting aimed to "enhance regional coordination to address the worsening humanitarian crises in the Sahel." The attendance of a Mauritanian government representative at this AES event has stirred significant reactions in Algeria. An Algerian media outlet reported: «Mauritania: Between the Silent Grip of Abu Dhabi and the Outstretched Hand of Morocco, a Double Game with Heavy Consequences for Western Sahara». Back in December 2023, the Algerian press had accused Abu Dhabi of providing 15 million euros to Rabat to fund disinformation campaigns and stir tensions between Algeria and the Sahel countries. Since its inception in 2023, Mauritania has been careful to differentiate itself from the decisions made by the three AES member states. It has not withdrawn from the G5 Sahel, an initiative launched in 2014 by France, and has not officially aligned with King Mohammed VI's initiative, announced on November 6, 2023, which aims to facilitate Sahel states' access to the Atlantic Ocean. This move toward the Alliance of Sahel States occurs as Mauritania, like Senegal, confronts the escalating threat of active terrorist movements in the region. "These armed groups are advancing towards the Malian border area, neighboring Mauritania and Senegal. An area long considered relatively spared from foreign interference, but now a hotbed of terrorist expansion," cautioned a Nouakchott media outlet on July 2.
