Germany, Mauritania look to deepen economic and security ties

Germany and Mauritania discussed deepening cooperation in trade, energy and security during a visit on Monday by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to the West African country.

Wadephul said after talks with his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Merzoug in the capital, Nouakchott, that Europe had yet to take full advantage of the economic opportunities offered by cooperation with Mauritania.

Mauritania is rich in critical raw materials, including iron ore, and has produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) jointly with neighbouring Senegal since 2025. Wadephul said the country could help Germany diversify its imports and highlighted the potential for closer cooperation in the production of green hydrogen.

According to an official translation of his remarks, Merzoug expressed Mauritania's willingness to expand cooperation on renewable energy, LNG, as well as security, defence and infrastructure.

Wadephul also praised Mauritania's approach to regional security, contrasting it with the instability affecting much of the Sahel.

"While elsewhere the focus is on escalation, heightened tensions, and illusory military successes, Mauritania opts for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomatic solutions," he said.

He also commended Mauritania for hosting more than 300,000 refugees from neighbouring Mali, noting that the scale of the effort was particularly striking given the country's population of only around 5 million.

During his visit, Wadephul met representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to discuss efforts to prevent extremism and promote deradicalization amid violence by Islamist militant groups across the Sahel.

He was briefed on the Mourchidates network, a group of around 75 female religious leaders - including Koran school teachers, community leaders and Islamic studies graduates - who work mainly in border regions with Mali to promote a moderate interpretation of Islam and counter extremist ideologies.

Mauritania is the first stop on Wadephul's four-day tour of Africa, which will also take him to Nigeria and South Africa. It is his third visit to the continent this year, following trips to Kenya and Ethiopia in January and Morocco in April. The last German foreign minister to visit Mauritania was Frank-Walter Steinmeier, now Germany's president, in November 2006.