Border security, migration top Morocco-Mauritania talks in Rabat

RABAT – Morocco and Mauritania agreed on Saturday to strengthen security cooperation and coordination on border security, irregular migration and organised crime during talks between their interior ministers in Rabat, as both countries seek to address growing challenges across the Sahel and North Africa.

The discussions took place at the Moroccan Interior Ministry headquarters between Morocco’s Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit and Mauritania’s Minister of Interior, Decentralization and Local Development Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lemine, who arrived in Morocco on Friday for an official visit at the invitation of his Moroccan counterpart.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Mauritania’s Interior Ministry said the two sides reviewed ways to enhance cooperation in security and administrative affairs, border protection and efforts to combat irregular migration and organised crime.

The ministers also discussed strengthening the partnership between their ministries, coordinating joint efforts and expanding cooperation between local authorities and regional administrations in both countries.

According to the Mauritanian ministry, the visit comes amid growing coordination between Rabat and Nouakchott on border security, combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks, and developing administrative and decentralised cooperation.

Both sides said they were determined to reinforce coordination mechanisms on issues of common interest and deepen cooperation in areas falling under the responsibility of their ministries.

The talks highlighted the increasing importance of security cooperation between the two neighbouring states as instability in the Sahel continues to pose risks linked to terrorism, organised crime and cross-border trafficking.

Mauritania occupies a strategic position linking the Maghreb and the Sahel, while Morocco serves as a key gateway to Europe, making border security and migration management shared priorities for both governments.

Coordination on irregular migration has gained urgency as Mauritania’s Atlantic coast has become one of the main departure points for migrants seeking to reach Spain’s Canary Islands, prompting Rabat and Nouakchott to intensify information-sharing and surveillance efforts.

The two countries also cooperate against networks involved in trafficking drugs, weapons, fuel and other goods across desert areas where criminal groups exploit the vast and difficult-to-monitor border regions.

Moroccan officials said the meeting reflected the positive momentum in bilateral relations under King Mohammed VI and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, with both governments seeking to strengthen cooperation in a spirit of partnership and complementarity.

Analysts say the expanding security partnership has become a central pillar of broader Moroccan-Mauritanian relations, aimed at supporting regional stability, protecting trade routes and improving coordination in response to transnational security threats.