After battling armed attacks, Mauritania attempts to revive tourism
Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda began attacks in the mid-2000s but several security measures have halted them. Guelb er-Richat, Adrar Region, Mauritania – From inside
Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda began attacks in the mid-2000s but several security measures have halted them. Guelb er-Richat, Adrar Region, Mauritania – From inside her thatch-roof tent, Fatima Cheikh Mohammad Bouya scans the vast, rocky landscape outside, hoping to catch sight of approaching guests, ideally travellers looking to stay the night. The 49-year-old is custodian of one of Africa’s most striking natural landmarks, the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of Africa.” A colossal circular formation measuring about 40km (25 miles) in diameter, the Richat lies in the rugged terrain of Mauritania’s Adrar Plateau, on the western edge of the Sahara. It can only be fully seen from the sky, where its domed rings resemble a vast eye, giving rise to its nickname. Some legends claim it marks the site of the lost city of Atlantis, adding to its appeal among adventurers. It is these travellers, often arriving in groups and carrying foreign currency, that Bouya hopes to attract today. She might sell them a small stone shaped like the Richat itself, or host them overnight under the desert sky, renting out tents and serving dinner. “This whole area is my family’s land,” Bouya said proudly in her sing-song Hassaniya Arabic, sitting on a faded red rug inside her desert camp and gesturing to a map spread before her. She is one of hundreds of locals now benefitting from Mauritania’s slow revival as a little-known travel destination. Stretching across a vast territory that is about 90 percent desert, Mauritania sits at the crossroads of North and West Africa. Its landscape blends the Sahara with the Atlantic coast, while its cultures reflect influences from both regions. About 30,000 tourists used to flock here annually, but a grim episode in the country’s history stopped that flow. The government is now stepping up marketing campaigns, with some early signs of success. “Mauritania is having a bit of a moment in the travel world,” said Sean Connolly, a travel expert who named it his 2026 destination of the year for The Times of London, speaking to Al Jazeera. Connolly also wrote the first English guidebook on Mauritania. The main pull for visitors, he said, is its safety.
“Mauritania is left at the top of an increasingly short list of destinations where you can freely and safely explore the Sahara,” Connolly said. Insecurity takes its toll Mauritanian tourism experienced a golden age in the early to mid-2000s. During those years, visitors arrived in large numbers during the cooler months between November and February, particularly from France. Many came for the Dakar Rally, the off-road motor race that once ran from Paris through harsh desert terrain to Dakar. But from the mid-2000s, armed groups, including Algeria-based al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), began targeting areas across the country, including the capital, Nouakchott. On Christmas Eve in 2007, AQIM fighters killed four French tourists near the western town of Aleg, in an attack that shocked the international community. The victims, members of the same family, were shot while picnicking by the roadside. The suspects were later arrested and sentenced to death in 2010. By then, however, Mauritania had already suffered a series of attacks, including an attempted assault on the French embassy. Tourist arrivals fell sharply. The Dakar Rally was permanently relocated to the Middle East, and charter flights that once brought French tourists directly to the Adrar region were suspended. In response, the government strengthened its security apparatus. Elite military units were deployed to border areas, many of which were designated military zones. At the same time, authorities engaged religious leaders to preach against extremism, including in prisons holding suspected militants. Quranic schools were placed under closer scrutiny, while pathways into formal education were expanded. More recently, the focus has shifted towards reducing rural poverty. Officials have expanded a social register of vulnerable households eligible for monthly stipends, while water, electricity, healthcare, schools and mobile networks have gradually reached more remote areas. There have been no reported attacks since 2011. While there are occasional claims of informal understandings between authorities and armed groups, those have not been confirmed, said Mauritanian researcher Baba Adou of the University of Florida. The collapse of security in neighbouring Mali since 2012, he noted, was favourable to Al Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)-affiliated groups, and likely contributed to them leaving Mauritania.
The BriefWire