Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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Jihadi violence in Mauritania has peaked and appears to have been contained through a mix of coercion and co-option. Yet the government’s triumphalism should be treated with care; Mauritania remains mired in corruption and poverty.
Despite progress toward stability, Mauritania remains at risk of social and political unrest.
State complicity with organized crime is at the heart of instability in the Sahel and Sahara region, fomenting conflict and fueling the rise of al-Qaeda.
Promoting good governance and reinforcing the state’s capacity is critical to improving economic conditions and building people’s trust in Mauritania’s national institutions.
Islamists in Mauritania, an important political force, are not currently a threat to the United States as the mainstream of the movement appears committed to democracy and unlikely to take power.