The Mauritanian government has denied rumors suggesting that armed groups could be the recipients of ammunition that unidentified individuals were trying to smuggle into the country through Senegal.
By Mohamed Moctar
The munitions “have not been intended for armed groups, which have no presence in our territory, thanks to our multidimensional security strategy,” the Home Affairs Ministry said in a statement seen by APA on Friday.
The electronic media recently circulated information regarding the seizure by the Senegalese authorities of a cache of ammunition being smuggled to armed groups in Mauritania.
According to the statement, the results of the investigations showed that the ammunition in question was destined for the traditional competitions of target shooting clubs in Mauritania.
The quantity of ammunition seized is 3,900-7.62 caliber cartridges, the statement said.
It hailed the “excellent cooperation” between the specialized security services of Senegal and Mauritania, which allowed the swift arrest of suspects wanted in the two countries”.
Target shooting is a very popular sport in Mauritania, where approximately 100 clubs, each with a good dozen shooters, organize a series of contests every year.
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