Mauritania has taken over the rotating presidency of the G5 Sahel, which coordinates the anti-jihadism fight of five countries in the region. To Mauritania’s east, the death toll in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has been rising inexorably, but this largely desert country of four million has not experienced an attack in almost nine years. Mauritanian authorities, for their part, began investing in training and retaining soldiers. Military spending increased, providing better and newer equipment, and soldiers’ pay was paid directly into the bank rather than through officers, and soldiers were given social benefits. Today, that programme to boost military morale and competence has borne fruit, as shown in the tight policing of the border, a notorious weak point in the other Sahel countries. At the same time, Nouakchott launched a battle of the minds, to deter vulnerable young people from joining the jihadists. In 2010 a dialogue between leading Muslim scholars and around 70 jailed jihadists caused around 50 of the detainees to repent.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS
More Stories
Botswana and Cape Verde Moved to Level 3- High Risk
10 Best Experiences in Kenya
South Africa Relaxes Travel Restrictions
These Upscale Resorts are Ideal for Anyone Craving Time in Nature
Astronomical Tourism has Become Famous in Egypt
Raising Awareness on Environmental Issues in Zimbabwe through Creativity
Fast Track to a Modern Senegal
The Cape Verde Rapper with a Feminist Message
French Gallerist Cecile Fakhoury on The Contemporary African Art Scene
8 Queer-Owned African Fashion Brands to Check Out For Pride
Tunisian City Attracts a New Type of Tourist
DYK that the Green Point Lighthouse is the Oldest Operational Lighthouse in South Africa?