Mauritania is an African country on the western edge of the Sahara desert with a 754 km Atlantic coastline. It has a large area, over one million km² with a population of around 3.3 million. The population is concentrated in and around the country's main cities: the capital Nouakchott and Nouadhibou.

The country has undergone major social changes since independence in 1960, including moving from a predominantly nomadic population to one that is more settled. Mauritania’s economy relies heavily on exports of its iron ore and offshore oil reserves, although exploitation of oil has been hampered by technical difficulties and remains much lower than expected. The coastal waters are amongst the richest fishing areas in the world, but some of the stocks are threatened by over fishing. Most of the population still relies on a subsistence lifestyle and past economic mismanagement has induced relatively high levels of government debt. Following a coup in 2005, Mauritania successfully carried out a return to democracy following free and fair elections in 2006-2007 with extensive financial and political support from the international community and the EU in particular. The newly elected Government presented a sound three year development policy that has been well received by all development partners.

This trend was interrupted by a political crisis opposing, on one side, President Sidi Ould Cheick Abdallahi and, on the other side, a majority of parliamentarians (independents) and the military. A new military coup followed in August 2008. The author of the coup, General Ould Abdel Aziz, one of the authors of the 2005 coup, took presidential powers through a military junta and set up a transition government despite strong and continuous opposition from those political parties demanding the return of the elected president to power.

The coup was condemned by the EU, the African Union and the vast majority of the international community. Under African Union leadership, several main international community partners set up an International Contact Group on Mauritania in an attempt to resolve the crisis by promoting dialogue between the main political groups in Mauritania aimed at a consensual agreement leading to a return to constitutional rule.

As a consequence of the coup, the EU froze a large part of the development cooperation (excluding humanitarian aid) and opened consultations with the Mauritanian power on the basis of relevant provisions of the "Cotonou" ACP-EU agreement. The European Council closed the consultation on the 6 of April 2009 and decided to link the gradual reopening of the development cooperation to the definition and implementation of a consensual agreement between the Mauritanian parties leading to a return to constitutional order. Following intense mediation efforts led by Senegal and the African Union a consensual agreement was signed on the 4th of June 2009. The main components of the so called "Dakar agreement" were implemented leading to Presidential elections in July 2009 that brought to constitutional power Mr. Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz who had previously stepped down as leader of the military junta and from the army. The implementation of this agreement was made possible by the decision of the constitutional President, Mr. Abdallahi, to create a transitional consensual government and to renounce to his mandate. The return to constitutional rule has allowed the restart of international cooperation including with the EU, following the Council decision of 25 January 2010.

The full return of Mauritania to the international scene was confirmed by the Round Table for Mauritania, organised in Brussels on 22-23 June 2010. The Government presented to its partners its strategies for the country's development, its sectoral policies and confirmed its governance commitments.  

The political and social situation in Mauritania remains nevertheless fragile while awaiting tangible progress of the national inclusive political dialogue forecasted by the Dakar agreement.

Further elements of insecurity are the fast intensification of terrorist activities from al-Qaida linked groups as well as organised crime linked to drug and persons trafficking (drugs and illegal migration routes to Europe).

Mauritania is an ACP member state and has, since 2007, acceded to Euro-Med partnership (Union for the Mediterranean). Mauritania is member of the UMA (Maghreb Union) and became Member of the League of Arab States in 1973.

Key issues in EU-Mauritania relations

The EU is supporting Mauritania in its development objectives, with a particular focus on the transport sector to help to better integrate the national territory and encourage better connections with the hinterland. Reducing costs and ensuring better security are also important so as to improve the overall transport infrastructure and to fight poverty while responding to humanitarian needs such as the return of Mauritanian refugees and limiting the effects of food insecurity. Another major area of European Commission support under the € 156 M 10th EDF is in the improvement of Governance with particular support to decentralisation, local development, modernisation of the administration, justice and civil society. This could be completed by direct budgetary support to the fight against poverty. The implementation of a large part of the cooperation, frozen following the August 2008 coup, has been gradually resumed since the end of 2009. The Council Decision of 25 January 2010 allowed for a full resumption of EU cooperation with the country.

The European Investment Bank provides large financial support through loans particularly for the development of the mining sectors (iron ore).

Extensive support is also given to Mauritania’s fishing sector. In 2006 a fisheries agreement was signed between Mauritania and the European Commission covering the period 2006-2012. The last protocol of this agreement provides for € 305 M over four years as a support for the fishing sector in return to fishing access while aiming to improve fisheries management and reducing the environmental impact of fishing practices.

(02/06/09) Read the Dakar framework agreement between the three main political poles of Mauritania

(25/01/2010) Read the Council Decision on the resumption of cooperation between the EU and Mauritania

The website of the Round Table for Mauritania