Colonel Ismail Ould El Atig, a senior officer in the Mauritanian gendarmerie, has warned of escalating security risks linked to the influx of refugees from the Sahel region into the eastern province of Hodh Ech Chargui. He revealed that the number of refugees has reached 300,000, while the local population stands at only 100,000.
The warning came during a seminar organized by the Sahel Center for Expertise and Consulting in Nouakchott, which focused on migration challenges and their impact on national security amid growing instability in neighboring countries.
Ould El Atig emphasized that the Mbera refugee camp—the largest in the Sahel and located near the Malian border—has become a focal point of security concerns, particularly due to the risk of terrorist infiltration among displaced populations.
He also highlighted the difficulties in monitoring Mauritania’s vast border with Mali, which spans over 1,030,700 square kilometers, given the country’s limited human and technological resources.
The official confirmed the presence of the Russian “Africa Corps,” successor to the Wagner Group, near the Mauritanian border. While noting potential benefits, he stressed the need for cautious engagement and close monitoring of the evolving situation.
He described the refugee issue as having shifted from a humanitarian matter to a strategic threat requiring regional cooperation and comprehensive national plans.
The warning comes amid rising tensions in the region, with Russia accused of supporting armed groups in Mali, while Ukraine provides humanitarian aid to refugee camps via Nouakchott—making Mauritania an indirect arena for international rivalry.
