Mauritania has taken steps to enhance its military capabilities by increasing its military spending. On September 27, 2024, the country announced a 10% increase in its defense budget as part of the national budget. This decision follows the election victory of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who secured a second term in the presidential elections held on June 29, 2024. This move indicates his commitment to improving the situation and developing the military’s capabilities.
The increase in the defense budget comes at a time when Mauritania faces escalating regional security challenges due to worsening political instability and security disruptions in the Sahel region. The influence of terrorist organizations in several Sahelian countries has expanded, alongside the ongoing conflict between the Malian army—backed by the Russian Wagner Group—and the Azawad movements in northern Mali. Additionally, there has been a rise in the activities of organized crime networks involved in drug trafficking and human smuggling across borders.
Various Motivations
Several factors appear to have motivated Mauritania’s decision to increase its defense budget:
El Ghazouani’s Ambition to Strengthen His Influence within the Military: Since assuming power in Mauritania, El Ghazouani has sought to bolster his authority by neutralizing or courting allies of the former president within the military and expanding his influence in military circles. Given the military’s significant clout in Mauritania, he is focused on ensuring the loyalty of the armed forces by increasing military spending, which not only aims to purchase weapons and military equipment but also to raise salaries and provide more benefits to officers and soldiers.
Restructuring the Military and Enhancing its Capabilities: The current president has embarked on a mission to restructure the military and enhance its capabilities, increasing spending on armaments to improve its combat effectiveness against external challenges. On July 18, 2024, the Mauritanian army revealed during military maneuvers near the capital, Nouakchott, that it had acquired anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, along with a range of new combat drones—marking the first time the army has disclosed its possession of combat drones since neighboring countries announced their acquisitions.
Intensified Arms Race in the Sahel Region: Notably, Sahel countries have recently ramped up their military capabilities by purchasing modern weapons, including surveillance and attack drones. A report published by Military Africa on April 15, 2024, revealed that Mauritania possesses four units of drones, placing it 28th in Africa and last in the Maghreb region, behind Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Consequently, this Mauritanian shift can be interpreted within the context of a growing arms race in the region, where countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have altered their military alliances due to political transformations in recent years. They seek to acquire new weapons from Russia, China, Turkey, and Iran, compensating for a decline in military cooperation with Western countries following the withdrawal of some, like France and the United States, from the region.
Sending Deterrent Messages to Regional Adversaries: Mauritania showcased its latest weaponry during military maneuvers and exercises on July 18, 2024, indicating its intention to send deterrent messages to adversaries and prevent them from threatening its interests. This stance is closely related to the escalating tension along the Mauritanian-Malian border, exacerbated by repeated incursions by the Wagner Group, allied with the Malian army, into Mauritanian territory to track down members of Azawad movements. Such incursions have heightened Mauritania’s concerns regarding the persistent threats posed by Wagner, significantly influencing its decision to strengthen military capabilities.
Confronting the Risks of Terrorist Activity Expansion: Mauritania faces growing security challenges due to the surge of terrorist activity in the Sahel region. For instance, on September 17, 2024, Mali experienced an attack by Al-Qaeda attempting to seize control of an airport in the capital. Nouakchott is wary of the potential spread of these organizations within its borders, particularly given Mali’s weak control over its frontiers due to its prolonged conflict with Azawad movements. These fears have intensified with the involvement of Mauritanians in such terrorist organizations and the increasing activities of organized crime, especially drug trafficking and irregular migration, which expose Mauritania to pressures and criticisms from Western nations.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite Mauritania’s direction toward increased military spending and the enhancement of its military capabilities in response to regional security threats, these security measures face numerous challenges, including the following:
Negative Impact of Increased Defense Budget on Other Sectors: The increase in the defense budget is expected to adversely affect the budgets of other government sectors. The new budget involves a reduction in allocations for around 20 government sectors, including vital ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Economy, and Finance. This decline stems from weak revenue from tax sectors, alongside a heavy reliance on mineral sector revenues, particularly from iron and gold. These economic pressures present challenges for Mauritania to sustain its military spending policy unless it can boost revenues and improve its economic performance in the near future.
Weak Coordination and Security Cooperation Among Sahel Countries: The withdrawal of the Sahel Alliance countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger) from the G5 Sahel Group, following military coups in recent years and the exit of French and American forces from the region, has diminished security coordination among the countries. This has allowed terrorist organizations—especially Al-Qaeda and ISIS—to escalate their operations, presenting significant challenges for Mauritania. Merely increasing military spending to acquire advanced weapons and equipment is insufficient to ensure stability and protect national security against terrorism.
Mauritania’s Overreliance on the West to Enhance Its Military Capabilities: Mauritania has previously maintained a balanced policy regarding various conflicts in the region, such as the Moroccan-Algerian dispute and the rising Russian-Western rivalry following military coups in some Sahelian countries. This approach aimed to expand its maneuverability and options in addressing different developments. However, strengthening its military capabilities based on specific international powers, particularly Western nations and the United States, may compromise this balanced policy and lead to increased tensions with several of these powers, misaligning with Mauritania’s current calculations and interests. These powers might adopt counter-policies to those pursued by Nouakchott.
Enhancing Capabilities
In conclusion, despite the gradually expanding scope of these challenges, Mauritania is unlikely to retract its efforts to enhance its military capabilities in the upcoming period. The threats it faces, along with the challenges posed by regional developments, do not appear trivial and cannot be mitigated by Mauritania’s current capabilities.
