Banjul, 10th April 2025: His Excellency President Adama Barrow recently received at State House in Banjul, the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, as the special envoy of His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
The meeting centred on the bilateral relationship between the two countries, and the situation of Gambian migrants in Mauritania.
After his meeting with the President, Minister Muhamed Salem Ould Merzoug told journalists that The Gambia and Mauritania have cordial bonds of friendship and reassured that his country is committed to strengthening the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries.
He acknowledged that The Gambia and Mauritania have recently seen an upsurge in irregular migration with many nationals from West African countries using Mauritania as a transit point on their way to Europe.
He conceded that his country is struggling to keep up with the surge, which has claimed hundreds of lives. “Just between January and March of this year, more than 500 bodies have been recovered from the beaches after migrant boats capsized and were washed ashore, whilst an unknown number of others are missing at sea”, he reported.
The envoy expressed optimism that the two countries will continue to work together to promote and strength bilateral cooperation, and combat human trafficking, as the two countries have agreed to set up a joint ministerial commission to address issues affecting them.
The Mauritanian Foreign Affairs minister’s visit came after his Gambian counterpart Mamadou Tangara visited Mauritania as a special envoy of His Excellency President Adama Barrow, for a high-level engagement with Mauritanian officials, in which the two sides discussed the plight of Gambians in Mauritania and also reaffirmed the long-standing and historic diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Honourable Muhamed Salem Ould Merzoug and delegation were accompanied to State House by the Gambian Foreign Affairs Minister, Honorable MamadouTangara.
By Lamin Kujabi
Gambia, Mauritania Deepen Collaboration to Address Migrant Situation
