The number of refugees fleeing insecurity in the Sahel to Mauritania has reached 'a critical threshold', the Defence Minister said; according to a recent UNHCR report, there are 275.000 refugees and asylum seekers in the population of 4,9 million

The Mauritanian coast guard rescued 161 migrants from a distressed, exhausted vessel north of Nouakchott on 27 August; The passengers, including 17 children from The Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal, were bound for Spain's Canary Islands

Tourism is slowly revamping, after Mauritania battled armed groups linked to al-Qaeda that began attacks in the mid-2000; two decades of security measures have halted them and the country is enjoying a slow revival as a little-known travel destination

35 Mauritanian citizens released after nearly three weeks in detention in Mali have landed at Nema Airport, capital of Hodh Chargui Wilaya, with a Mauritania Airlines flight

A land-lease agreement was signed with Saudi Arabia; 53.957 hectares of land in the districts of Boghé and Aleg, in Brakna Wilaya, will benefit from investment by a Saudi company that will deploy modern agricultural technologies to enhance production