Mauritania Enters Ukraine’s Game For Influence In Africa

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Mauritania has denied that it was allowing Ukraine to traffic equipment and fighters through its territories to neighboring Mali.

Alexander Ivanov, head of the Commonwealth of Officers for International Security, was the first to shed light on Ukraine’s growing activities in Mauritania earlier this month.

He said that Ukrainian diplomats in Mauritania have been involved in facilitating the movement of both equipment and fighters. From there, they pass through poorly controlled border zones and make their way into Mali, where Russia’s Africa Corps is active.

The African Corps is a paramilitary group under the Russian Defense Ministry that was created to formalize Moscow’s security partnerships in Africa.

“Ukrainians conduct their business in Africa secretly, including through the Ukrainian embassy in Mauritania,” Ivanov was quoted by the Anadolu Agency as saying.

The Mauritanian government denied these accusations in a statement issued on August 27, saying that it “has, for more than a decade, adopted a solid strategy to prevent and combat violent extremism, which has enabled it to avoid the security lapses experienced in the region.”

“Mauritania adheres to the concept of collective security in the Sahel region, where it has quietly and away from media spectacle, supported its brothers in times of fragility and turmoil through logistical support, the exchange of sensitive information, and calm mediation,” it added.

Regarding its position on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Mauritania noted that it “voted in the United Nations General Assembly in favor of the resolution condemning the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” in October of 2023.

Nouakchott also opposed in April of 2022 “the suspension of Russia’s membership in the Human Rights Council , believing that sanctions and isolation policies do not end crises, but rather prolong them.”

“Some viewed this position as duplicity, while others considered it a commitment to principles. Mauritania, however, sees it as a manifestation of clarity of thought,” the government said.

Relations between Mauritania have been indeed gaining momentum. Kiev’s embassy in Nouakchott opened in May of last year.

Last month, Ukraine’s top envoy to Africa revealed to Reuters that Kiev has made an offer to train Mauritanian soldiers. This happened amid tension between Mauritania and Mali, which is seen as a pattern to Russia.

“Ukraine is ready to continue training officers and representatives of the Mauritanian armed forces, to share the technologies and achievements that Ukraine has made” on the battlefield against Russia, Maksym Subkh told the news agency, adding that Ukraine had previously provided such training.

Reports that go back as far as last year accuse Ukraine of backing Tuareg rebels in Mali, and even supplying them with drones. The rebels fighting government forces and the African Corps are known to have links to various terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Mauritania has for decades stayed out of regional conflicts. Now, however, the rapprochement with Ukraine threatens to drag the country to a conflict with Mali.

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