The President of Mali’s Transition, Assimi Goïta, received Mauritanian Defence Minister Hanana Ould Sidi at the Koulouba Palace, where the envoy delivered a written message from Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
The meeting, attended by Mali’s Minister Delegate for Defence, General Oumar Diarra, focused on strengthening ties between the two neighbouring countries.
According to the Mauritanian minister, he conveyed President Ghazouani’s greetings and reaffirmed the friendship, fraternity and solidarity that unite Mauritania and Mali, while President Goïta asked that his own greetings and best wishes be transmitted to the Mauritanian leader.
The visit comes amid ongoing security and border-related challenges affecting relations between Bamako and Nouakchott. The two countries share a long and strategically important border that is frequently crossed by traders, herders, refugees and local communities.
In recent years, tensions have emerged over security incidents involving Mauritanian nationals, population movements and border management issues.
More recently, disagreements surfaced following allegations by Mali regarding escaped soldiers allegedly present in Mauritanian territory, claims that Nouakchott denied.
Despite these challenges, the visit underscores the continued dialogue between both governments as they seek to address security, humanitarian and cross-border concerns through diplomatic engagement.
