Morocco and Mauritania step up military cooperation through reciprocal visits

Moroccan and Mauritanian military delegations have conducted a series of reciprocal visits to military institutions in both countries, as part of efforts to strengthen defense cooperation and exchange expertise in military training, the Mauritanian army said.

In a statement published on its official Facebook account, the Mauritanian army said a delegation led by Colonel Mehnadh Bab Hamdi, commander of the Naval Academy, visited Morocco’s Royal Navy from Nov. 2 to 5.

The visit included the Royal Naval School, the Royal Navy Training Center and several other specialized institutions and facilities affiliated with the Moroccan navy. It was organized under the program of the joint Moroccan-Mauritanian military committee and aimed to strengthen military cooperation and exchange experience in competency-based training.

The Mauritanian delegation also included Naval Colonel Ahmed Salem Mouloud, commander of the Higher School for Officers, and Major Sidi El Amin Sidi Mama, head of the supply department at the Naval Staff.

During the same period, a Moroccan Royal Navy delegation led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed El Hawari visited the Mauritanian Naval Staff. The delegation toured several facilities, including the Naval Operations Center, the Naval Academy, the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center and radar installations. The visit also included meetings focused on exchanging expertise, according to the Mauritanian army.

Separately, a Mauritanian delegation headed by Colonel Sidi Mohamed Ould Hamadi, commander of the National College of Command and Staff, visited Morocco’s Royal College of Advanced Military Studies in Kenitra. The visit began on Nov. 2 and was scheduled to conclude on Nov. 6, with discussions focusing on prospects for expanding cooperation between the two institutions.

The Mauritanian army also reported that a Moroccan military delegation from the Royal College of Advanced Military Studies, led by Colonel Mustapha Haji and accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Fahd Saman, conducted an exploratory visit to the G5 Sahel Defense College.

The delegation was received by the college’s commander, Colonel Mohamed Ahmed Mahmoud El Banani. During the three-day visit, the Moroccan officers toured the institution’s facilities and reviewed its academic curricula and training programs. The two sides also held a meeting to exchange views on issues of mutual interest, the statement said.

The exchanges come amid broader efforts by Rabat and Nouakchott to deepen military and security coordination, particularly as instability and armed activity continue to affect parts of the Sahel region.

Mauritania shares a border of more than 2,000 kilometers with Mali, making border security and cooperation against armed groups and transnational organized crime important concerns for its military. The evolving security situation in the Sahel has increased the importance of coordination among countries in the region.

The joint Moroccan-Mauritanian military committee held its first meeting in Rabat in January 2020, during a visit by then-Mauritanian Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohamed Cheikh Mohamed Lemine El Amine.

At the time, the two sides reaffirmed the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Morocco and Mauritania and expressed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral ties through mutual understanding and trust.

According to a statement from Morocco’s administration of national defense, military cooperation between the two countries includes reciprocal visits, participation in joint exercises, technical support and training programs.

Mauritanian trainees have been receiving training at facilities affiliated with Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces since 1970. The two countries further formalized their military cooperation through a memorandum of understanding signed in Rabat in 2006.

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