The spokesperson for the Mauritanian government declared this Thursday that the border with Mali is unstable and experiencing “numerous movements between armed groups and the Malian army”. He specified that the Mauritanian army will defend its citizens outside, as well as inside, Mauritania. Two weeks ago, the Mauritanian defense minister went to Bamako to ask for explanations from the Malian transitional government after “repeated attacks against several Mauritanian civilians in Malian territory”.
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With our correspondent in Nouakchott, Léa Breuil
Mauritanian government spokesperson Nani Ould Chrouga says the Mauritanian armed forces are fully ready to defend “ the territorial integrity of the country “. Before adding that “ any voluntary violation of Mauritanian territory, wherever it comes from, will be repressed by the armed forces “.
Nani Ould Chrougha also underlined the importance of protecting Mauritanian citizens from the outside, specifying that the Mauritania follows the international procedure which concerns incidents occurring outside borders.
Two weeks ago, the head of Mauritanian diplomacy summoned the Malian ambassador to Nouakchott to protest against the “ repeated attacks against innocent and defenseless Mauritanian citizens inside Malian territory “.
The Mauritanian Minister of Defense went to Bamako to find solutions and specified that “ preserving and strengthening ties between the two countries is a collective responsibility “.
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Nani Ould Chrouga also clarified that border management was difficult, especially when “ border areas overlap geographically and demographically “. According to a source close to the army, the Mauritanian army chief of staff is currently visiting the Mauritanian army units deployed on the border with the Mali.