Mauritania

02:23

EU-backed migrant crackdowns in Mauritania fuel fear and deportations

Thousands of migrants in Mauritania have been deported to remote borders under an EU-backed effort to halt migration.

‘We can’t go out’: Migrants hide as Mauritania presses deportation campaign

Following an EU deal, Mauritanian authorities have rounded up and deported thousands of people to Mali and Senegal.

‘I have to protect them’: The man guarding Mauritania’s rare Islamic books

Chinguetti was once a popular desert library town attracting scholars from the Muslim world to its precious collections.

LONG READ

‘I’ll go back’, say African migrants deported in campaign by Mauritania

Mass crackdown on migrants follows deal signed with the EU to stem migration from source countries in Africa.

24:55

From: People & Power

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Le Court secures historic Africa win at women’s Tour de France

Mauritian rider Kim Le Court has made history for Africa by winning a stage at the women’s Tour de France.

Trump’s African summit was a masterclass in modern colonial theatre

To dodge Trump’s tariffs and wrath, five African presidents played colonial subject, and left their dignity behind.

Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his native tongue

US president meets leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal.

Library manager Mohamed Ben Baty shows an old manuscript belonging to his family at his home in Oualata. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

A boy stands outside a house decorated with traditional paintings in the old town section of Oualata

Oualata is one of a UNESCO-listed quartet of ancient, fortified towns or "ksour", which, in their heyday, were trading and religious centres. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Preserving Oualata’s fragile manuscript legacy amid desert threats

Muslim worshippers leave the mosque after Friday noon prayer in Oualata. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Throughout Oualata, doors fashioned from acacia wood, adorned with traditional designs painted by local women, punctuate the earthen facades. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Library manager Mohamed Ben Baty shows an old manuscript and other writings belonging to his family at his home in Oualata. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Old manuscripts at the Taleb Boubacar Library. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Library manager Mohamed Ben Baty looks at an old manuscript inside the Taleb Boubacar Library. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

For generations, Oualata’s population has steadily dwindled as residents depart in search of work, leaving the historic buildings neglected. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

A woman walks in the Old Town section of Oualata. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

Much of the Old Town now stands abandoned, with only about one-third of its buildings inhabited. [Patrick Meinhardt/AFP]

After battling armed attacks, Mauritania attempts to revive tourism

The untold mental trauma of living through the Malian warThis article will be opened in a new browser window

Mauritania’s female Islamic guides: Leading the fight against ‘extremism’

Foreign fishing vessels empty Mauritanian waters

Mauritania’s plan to close private schools sparks backlash

In Mauritania, push to phase out private schools divides opinion

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‘We saw terrible things’: Mali refugees tell of atrocities amid attacks

What is the Azawad Liberation Front, part of the Mali attacks?

EU-backed migrant crackdowns in Mauritania fuel fear and deportations

‘We can’t go out’: Migrants hide as Mauritania presses deportation campaign

‘I have to protect them’: The man guarding Mauritania’s rare Islamic books

‘I’ll go back’, say African migrants deported in campaign by Mauritania

Trapped in Tunisia

Le Court secures historic Africa win at women’s Tour de France

Trump’s African summit was a masterclass in modern colonial theatre

Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his native tongue

Madleen Gaza flotilla updates: Israel detains Greta Thunberg, 11 activists

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Israel ‘flouted its legal obligations’ towards Gaza civilians with ship seizure

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After battling armed attacks, Mauritania attempts to revive tourism

The untold mental trauma of living through the Malian warExternal LinkThis article will be opened in a new browser window

Mauritania’s female Islamic guides: Leading the fight against ‘extremism’

Foreign fishing vessels empty Mauritanian waters

Mauritania’s plan to close private schools sparks backlash

In Mauritania, push to phase out private schools divides opinion

Mali crisis: Who are the key leaders to know about?

‘We saw terrible things’: Mali refugees tell of atrocities amid attacks

What is the Azawad Liberation Front, part of the Mali attacks?

Content Feed

EU-backed migrant crackdowns in Mauritania fuel fear and deportations

‘We can’t go out’: Migrants hide as Mauritania presses deportation campaign

‘I have to protect them’: The man guarding Mauritania’s rare Islamic books

‘I’ll go back’, say African migrants deported in campaign by Mauritania

Trapped in Tunisia

Le Court secures historic Africa win at women’s Tour de France

Trump’s African summit was a masterclass in modern colonial theatre

Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his native tongue

Madleen Gaza flotilla updates: Israel detains Greta Thunberg, 11 activists

Thanks for joining us

Here’s what happened today

Israel ‘flouted its legal obligations’ towards Gaza civilians with ship seizure

Journalist killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City’s Tuffah neighbourhood

The untold mental trauma of living through the Malian warThis article will be opened in a new browser window