The leaders of Mauritania and Mali, on Wednesday, met on the sidelines of the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, China. This was the first face-to-face meeting after recent border tensions between the two countries.
Presidents Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania and Assimi Goita of Mali met on Wednesday, September 4 in Beijing. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state whose countries have been marked by border tensions in recent times. Colonel Goïta, who has rarely travelled abroad since coming to power in a coup in May 2021, made an exception for this summit. As for Ghazouani, he was re-elected last July for a second five-year term.
No official statement was released from their meeting. But according to the Mauritanian presidency, quoted by various media outlets including the Mauritanian Information Agency, “the two presidents discussed ways to strengthen relations between the two brotherly countries, in addition to bilateral, regional and international issues.” Diplomatic tensions between Mauritania and Mali have eased in recent months after incidents along their common border.
Last April, the pursuit of suspected jihadists by Malian troops into the Mauritanian village of Madallah resulted in civilian injuries and arrests, angering Nouakchott. At the same time, accusations of support for terrorist and separatist groups have emerged on the Malian side, illustrating the complex security challenges that persist along the 2,237 kilometers of border between the two countries.
These events have sparked outrage in both countries and led to calls for caution for civilians living in these border areas. In recent days, Mali has been hit by terrible floods in several localities, causing significant human and material losses.
This tragic episode gave President Ghazouani the opportunity to send a delegation to Bamako to express his solidarity and dispel any misunderstanding.
Received on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 by the Malian transitional president, the Mauritanian delegation, led by Mohamed Abdel Vetah, High Commissioner of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS), presented President Ghazouani’s “most heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims and wished “a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Colonel Assimi Goita seized this opportunity to reaffirm Mali’s unwavering support for OMVS projects. He expressed his gratitude to President Ghazouani for this message of solidarity and instructed Mohamed Abdel Vetah to convey “his fraternal greetings.”
ODL/Sf/te/fss/GIK/APA