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Mauritania as a Strategic Point for the EU in a Changing Sahel

  • Writer: Afonso Oliveira Fachada
    Afonso Oliveira Fachada
  • Jul 25
  • 6 min read

Introduction

When we look at the most recent developments in the Sahel region and the emergence of instability and change, we can see that Mauritania represents a “safer harbour” in this region for the European Union.


With the coups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the region has been redrawn, as these countries cut ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) – formally left the organization on January 29, 2025 (Le Monde, 2025), and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). At the same time, they have been distancing themselves from European and Western States, drawing closer to countries like Russia (Faulkner & Parens, 2025).


In this context, it seems reasonable for the EU to deepen its relationship with Mauritania, which represents a point of certain stability in the region, especially in the areas of migration and natural resources.

Importance in the Field of Migration

Mauritania is located in West Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, with borders to Western Sahara, Mali, Senegal, and, to the north, Algeria. It has a population of around 5 million inhabitants (UNFPA, 2025).


Therefore, we can see the geographical importance that Mauritania for the EU as a controller of migration flows, especially when we have been observing the increase in the use of this route, with the Canary Islands as the usual point of arrival, resulting in several deaths (Africa News, 2025) – and in 2024 it reached unprecedented levels, with around 1000 deaths per month in the first five months of the year (Moctar, 2024).


That being said, the fundamental aspects to develop in the EU-Mauritania relations will be the migration control. In this regard, on March 7, 2024, an agreement was signed between the European Commission and the Mauritanian government, aiming to dismantle trafficking networks and combat illegal migration, while ensuring the protection of refugee rights in the process (Moctar, 2024; European Commission, 2024).


I consider that, although the importance of EU-Mauritania relations in this field is clear, it is essential to ensure that the rights of refugees are protected; priority cannot be given to migration control to the detriment of human’s rights. How can the EU ensure this protection on the ground? It could provide greater support to monitoring mechanisms on the ground, such as those already carried out by UNHCR (2025); or it could emphasize, during diplomatic dialogues, the need to protect refugee rights.


Natural Resources

EU-Mauritania cooperation in the area of natural resources mainly takes place on two levels: fisheries and renewable energy.


The fisheries sector is of great importance to the Mauritanian economy, representing between 4% and 10% of its GDP and 35% to 50% of its exports (International Trade Administration, 2023). In this regard, the European Commission concluded a sustainable fisheries partnership agreement with Mauritania, which came into force on 15 November 2021 and will last until 15 November 2026 - under this agreement, the EU can fish up to 287,050 tonnes per year in Mauritanian waters, with the EU paying €57.5 million per year, plus €16.5 million over a 5-year period to support local fishermen (European Commission, 2021). This agreement will be reviewed at the end of 2025 before expiring in 2026.


As for the renewable energy, Mauritania is a very important partner in the Global Gateway Initiative, which aims to ensure the development of sustainable and high-quality infrastructures around the world. In this regard, the EU, 2023, launched a Team Europe initiative to ensure the production of green hydrogen in Mauritania and help it advance in the energy transition (European Commission, 2023).  In addition, there are two major projects that demonstrate great interest on the part of the EU and the private sector in investing in the energy sector in Mauritania: the AMAN project and the NOUR project, which will boost the production of solar and wind energy, as well as the production of green hydrogen (McBain, 2024).


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In other words, in the area of ​​natural resources, cooperation between the EU and Mauritania is based on a dual approach – on the one hand, the EU aims to develop a blue economy, leveraging one of Mauritania's main resources, namely fisheries, while preserving ecosystems; and, on the other hand, increasing investment in energy transition projects. Once again, there are associated risks: Mauritania's dependence on external partners and the social and environmental impact of these projects. Therefore, once again, the EU cannot benefit from these projects without actively monitoring what is happening on the ground.


Military Cooperation

As I have already mentioned, Mauritania plays a very important role in the Sahel region, which is currently facing particular instability.


For this reason, the EU has been establishing projects in the area of ​​peace and security, such as providing military training to senior military officers for the academic years 2023 to 2025 and providing military equipment to protect the border with Mali, preventing the advance of extremist movements (European Commission, 2024). In this way, the EU aims to ensure that it remains a relevant figure in the region, through security, maintaining a strong military relationship with one of the region's major players.

 

Conclusion

Therefore, in light of the most recent events in the region and the changing geopolitical dynamics, Mauritania emerges as a strategic partner for the EU in several sectors, as can be seen from the recent presence of delegations from the European Parliament in Mauritania in May 2025 (European Parliament, 2025).


However, in my view, relational stability cannot be taken for granted by the EU, especially since we see that Russia and China have been increasing their influence not only in the region, but also in Mauritania itself.

For example, China and Mauritania have signed an agreement on infrastructure and mining, with Mauritania being part of the Belt and Road Initiative since 2023 (Dispatch Risk Analysis, 2025); and Russia maintains a military presence in the Sahel region, despite the departure of the Wagner mercenaries, who were replaced by the Russian Ministry of Defense's Africa Corps, which continues to have a presence of Wagner military personnel, that is, the Russian military presence in the region seems to be far from over (Vorobyov, 2025).


For the EU to remain relevant in the region, it must expand its relations with Mauritania, but at the same time ensure their stability - I believe that to achieve this, it is necessary to fulfil the following objectives:


  1. Ensure that, within the framework of the partnerships it develops, human rights will always be protected, for example: ensuring that the principle of non-refoulement is complied with by the Mauritanian authorities (Moctar, 2024);

  2. Invest in strategic sectors, such as health and education, to ensure that there is no need to develop agreements with other non-democratic countries;

  3. Increase the potential of the EU-Mauritania military cooperation to ensure that there is no advance of extremist movements in the country; and

  4. Increase the presence of the EU as an institution, on the ground, through diplomatic and cultural missions.

 

Therefore, I believe that for the EU to remain relevant it needs a strategy that ensures a balance between opportunity with responsibility —a form of cooperation that prioritizes human rights, supports democratic systems, and is visibly present. In other words, only with a strategy based on values ​​and resilience will the EU be able to maintain a valuable partner and remain relevant in the Sahel region.


Bibliography

  1. AfricaNews. (2024, August 13). With Mauritania, EU seeks to close the Atlantic to migrants and refugees. https://www.africanews.com/2024/02/09/with-mauritania-eu-seeks-to-close-the-atlantic-to-migrants-and-refugees/.

  2. Dispatch Risk Analysis. (2025, April 7). Mauritania: Relationship with China expands amidst global economic shakeup. https://dispatchrisk.com/relationship-with-china-expands-amidst-global-economic-shakeup/.

  3. European Commission. (2021). Partnership agreement on sustainable fisheries between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (ST/12446/2021/INIT). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2021.439.01.0003.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2021%3A439%3ATOC.

  4. European Commission. (2023, October 24). Global Gateway: EU launches a Team Europe initiative to develop green hydrogen in Mauritania and accelerate its energy transition [Press release]. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_5268.

  5. European Commission. (2024, March 8). Joint declaration establishing a migration partnership between the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the European Union. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/eu-mauritania-joint-declaration_en.

  6. European Commission. (2024, December). EU-Mauritania partnership – Infographic. https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/document/download/55cc8978-6a0e-45fd-86c7-92ce3d5dc316_en?filename=EU-Mauritania-partnership.pdf.

  7. European Parliament. (2025, May 22). DEVE delegation to Mauritania on 26–28 May 2025. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/pt/product/product-details/20250522MIS03022.

  8. Faulkner, C. M., & Parens, R. (2025, March 24). Russia in Africa: Private military proxies in the Sahel. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2025/03/24/russia-in-africa-private-military-proxies-in-the-sahel/.

  9. International Trade Administration. (2023, December 4). Mauritania country commercial guide: Fisheries. https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/mauritania-fisheries.

  10. Le Monde. (2025, January 29). Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso formally leave ECOWAS. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/01/29/niger-mali-and-burkina-faso-formally-leave-ecowas_6737542_4.html.

  11. McBain, W. (2024, November 5). Mauritania sets ambitious green hydrogen agenda. African Business. https://african.business/2024/11/partner-content/mauritania-sets-ambitious-green-hydrogen-agenda.

  12. Moctar, H. O. (2024, October). The EU-Mauritania partnership: Whose priorities? European Council on Refugees and Exiles. https://ecre.org/working-paper-the-eu-mauritania-partnership/.

  13. UNFPA. (n.d.). World population dashboard: Mauritania. United Nations Population Fund. Retrieved July 19, 2025, from https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/MR.

  14. UNHCR. (2025, June 12). Annual results report: Mauritania.

  15. Vorobyov, N. (2025, June 16). Wagner vs Africa Corps: The future of Russian paramilitaries in Mali. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/16/wagner-vs-africa-corps-the-future-of-russian-paramilitaries-in-mali.


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