Mauritania: A Disproportionate Role in Managing Regional Migration – Jemal Taleb

“Mauritania illustrates the contradiction of a country that is both indispensable and insufficiently supported. It assumes a humanitarian and security role that far exceeds its national capacities, while remaining faithful to a tradition of hospitality.”

The facts -

Jemal Taleb, a Mauritanian, is a lawyer at the Paris bar and vice-president of the CIRES Think Tank (International Center for Reflection and Studies on the Sahel).

Mauritania is at the heart of migration debates. Its geographical position, between the Sahel and the Maghreb, makes it both a transit zone and a host country. Contrary to the image often conveyed by some European discourse, it is not simply a transit point: it plays a leading humanitarian role.

Mauritania's history partly explains this situation. A crossroads of caravan routes, it has always been home to diverse populations – Fulani, Soninke, Songhai, Wolof, and traders from the Maghreb. This pluralistic dimension has shaped a long-standing culture of hospitality, which continues to be reflected in current public policies.

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