Lieutenant General Saïd Chengriha of Algeria visited Mauritania this week, meeting with Lieutenant General Mokhtar Bellah Chaabane to discuss regional security cooperation. This visit marks the first by an Algerian military leader of this rank to Mauritania, highlighting the increasing security threats both nations face from the Sahel region.
The discussions between the two military leaders focused on shared challenges, including terrorism, smuggling, and illegal migration across their shared 460-kilometre border. The Algerian Ministry of National Defence reported that the talks addressed various security challenges confronting the region and the world, with both countries expressing a commitment to strengthening military cooperation.
Chengriha’s visit comes as recent tensions over Algeria’s concerns about Mauritania’s growing military ties with NATO. Despite these concerns, both leaders showed optimism for renewed cooperation.
A Mauritanian official noted that “the Algerian-Mauritanian military talks are important in terms of the military and security challenges that Algeria is experiencing, especially after the tension that occurred between Algiers and the new rulers of Mali as well as the rulers of Niger, as Algeria has no gateway to the region other than Tunisia.”
The Sahel region continues to face instability due to extremist groups and criminal networks, impacting neighbouring nations like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, all of which are now under military rule. Algeria’s influence in these countries has waned, particularly after Mali’s military government terminated the 2015 Algerian accords with northern separatist groups in August.