There has been a notable warming of relations between NATO and Mauritania, particularly visible through the reciprocal visits that took place in May 2024. Admiral Bob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, visited Mauritania on May 3, and on May 29, Mauritanian Minister of Defence Hanena Ould Sidi visited NATO headquarters in Brussels. These visits represent a significant advancement in the NATO-Nouakchott relationship, prompting enquiries about the evolving dynamics of regional security.
Shifting Regional Security Dynamics
The Sahel region has undergone significant changes with the fall of traditional regimes—that maintained strategic security partnerships with France—driven by a series of military coups and the rise of a military elite opposed to Western colonial dominance, most notably France. This shift has paved the way for increased Russian and Chinese influence, encompassing military, economic, and political cooperation with the emerging regimes. Such developments are poised to alter the balance of power, introducing a new front of geostrategic competition against Western and American interests in the region.
However, the West is not merely observing passively. The frequency of high-level visits between Mauritania and NATO serves as a clear indication of a significant transformation in the military domain. This shift aims to satisfy multiple goals, which can be explained as follows:
Advancing NATO’s Interests in the Sahel and Sahara and Expanding the Arena of Confrontation: To bolster military cooperation and advance NATO’s interests in the Sahel and Sahara while countering the rising influence of new global powers, particularly Russia and China, NATO has been implementing a new strategy since 2022. Its approach involves expanding interactions with NATO’s southern neighborhood to enhance its influence in the broader Mediterranean region. In this context, Mauritania has been prioritized to meet these strategic goals. NATO has made commitments to modernize its armed forces and provide them with the necessary capabilities to effectively address armed groups in this important geostrategic area. In this way, Mauritania has emerged as NATO’s strategic gateway to the south. The NATO-Mauritania relationship is built on a shared counter-terrorism strategy, with NATO providing substantial military support and training to the Mauritanian army since 2021, as evidenced by the second battalion commando of the National Special Forces of Mauritania, which participates in joint training exercises with NATO forces. This cooperation was formalized as part of the Mauritanian defence capacity-building package initiated in 2021.
Extending NATO’s Reach: A primary objective for NATO is to connect the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions. In this context, coordination efforts are driven by the Mediterranean Dialogue, which brings together Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The frequent visits by NATO leaders to Mauritania aim to forge military understandings that position Nouakchott as a central hub for NATO operations in the Sahel and Sahara. This strategy underscores NATO’s tactical approach towards strengthening its presence in its southern neighborhood.
Notably, this expansion is likely driven by the significant transformations in the Sahel region, which are closely linked to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. NATO is thus focused on crafting a strategy to bolster its presence and influence in this region.
Alternative Energy Routes: The announcement by Mauritania of the ‘Greater Tortue Ahmeyim’ gas field discovery in 2023, boasting reserves exceeding 100 trillion cubic meters, introduces a promising opportunity for supplying energy to Europe and a new alternative to traditional energy supplies from Russia and Algeria. Given the strategic alignment between Algeria and Russia and the shifting dynamics in Algerian-South Atlantic relations, NATO countries are exploring ways to secure Mauritanian gas to mitigate the impact of reduced Russian and Algerian gas exports to Europe.
Critical Balances and Securing Presence
While the ties between Mauritania and NATO have deepened since 2021, driven by President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani’s involvement in the NATO summit and NATO’s subsequent pledge to bolster the Mauritanian defense sector, upgrade the army’s arsenal, and deepen collaboration across key areas such as special operations, maritime security intelligence, career transition programs, arms management, and military training, these ties have notably intensified in early 2024, reflecting a new level of strategic alignment.
This increasing pace of military rapprochement and strategic coordination can be traced to several influential factors guiding NATO’s efforts, which can be summarized as follows:
Russia and Filling the Void: One of the driving forces behind NATO’s continued push for closer coordination and military cooperation with Nouakchott is the power vacuum created by the military coups in Sahel countries, particularly Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These upheavals led to a disengagement from Western regimes, primarily France and the United States, and were met with a notable increase in Russian influence, notably through the Wagner Group, in countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. Wagner was later reorganized as Africa Corps, with its influence surfacing in early 2024 in regions such as Chad, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Sudan. This has heightened concerns among European countries regarding Moscow’s strategic encirclement of their interests in the African interior amidst ongoing warfare and prolonged conflicts with NATO.
Mauritania was also a focal point in Moscow’s strategy to establish its military presence in this crucial region. The two countries inked a military cooperation agreement at the end of June 2021 in Moscow. This agreement was signed by Mauritanian Minister of Defense General Hanena Ould Sidi and Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin on the sidelines of the Moscow Conference on International Security.
Beijing’s Drive to Enhance Its Regional Clout: Another critical factor affecting NATO’s strategic interests in the Sahel and Atlantic circles is Beijing’s endeavors to promote its influence in this region. By taking advantage of the evolving power dynamics between Sahel countries and Western powers, particularly France and the United States, China aims to establish an economically advantageous partnership with the Sahel countries. China’s endeavors to woo Mauritania have become increasingly evident. President Ghazouani’s trip to Beijing in late July 2023 culminated in the cancellation of $20 million in Mauritanian debt. Following this, numerous reports have surfaced, suggesting China’s plans to construct a naval base near Mauritania’s coast to secure its commercial interests in the area.
China’s categorization as a menace to NATO within this context was explicitly expressed during the June 2022 NATO summit in Madrid. In its 2022 Strategic Concept, NATO recognized China, along with Russia, as significant challengers to the interests of NATO countries in crucial geostrategic regions such as the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the South Atlantic.
In short, Mauritania has emerged as a crucial focal point in the Russia-NATO rivalry, amid the shifting geostrategic landscape of the Sahel and the rise of military elite that challenges traditional alliances with the West. However, there has been a growing alignment between these nascent military regimes and Eastern powers (Russia and China), prompting NATO to intensify its efforts to engage with the region and maximize strategic advantages. NATO is working to elevate its partnership with Mauritania to strategic ally status, aiming for deeper military collaboration. Meanwhile, Russia and China are striving to establish a military presence in Mauritania, seeking to secure a foothold on the Atlantic coast within NATO’s southern flank, potentially triggering increased military alertness by the competing powers within this arena.
