Morocco sends aid to Mauritania to fight locusts
Mauritania-Morocco, Local, 8/27/2004

Morocco sent Wednesday to Mauritania 50,000 litres of pesticide, 10 individual sprayers and three airplanes to help the west African country fight locust swarms that have been wrecking havoc on the vegetation and crops for several weeks.

The Moroccan assistance, unloaded Wednesday at the international airport of Nouakchott, was delivered by two land teams specialised in locust fighting that will help Mauritanians cope with the plague. The teams will join Mauritanian crew and help reinforce Mauritanian capabilities and technical equipment.

Mauritanian development minister, Ahmed Oueld Ahmadou, said the Moroccan aid embodies the solidarity existing between King Mohammed VI and Mauritanian president, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya and the excellent relationship between the two Maghreban countries.

Chairman of the African Union Commission, Alpha Omar Konare, who visited Mauritania last week, termed the locust infestation in Mauritania as "grave and of great concern," warning the situation could get worse in the coming months "unless the international community acts to support this country in the fight of the phenomenon."

Konare had called on international partners of Mauritania to extend emergency help to this west African country, most hit by the insect invasion.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf had talks with Mauritanian officials to assess the extent of the locust invasion and the damage the locust swarms have caused to the country's vegetation and crops.

The African Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$ 2 million donation to eight countries to back their locust-fighting effort. The Bank said Wednesday in a press release Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad and Tunisia will benefit from the aid.

According to FAO, the plague this year may be more serious than in 1987, which left US$ 300 million worth of damages. Six other donors- the EU, Japan, Italy, Norway, Spain and the United States, have joined FAO and ADB. They will set aside US$ 81,137 millions out of the 118,137 millions necessary to face the threat.

FAO reported that as summer rains have already started in the Sahel, egg-laying is likely to occur within a vast area that stretches from the Atlantic coast in Mauritania to Chad. This could extend further into Darfur in western Sudan.

The first desert locust swarms have moved from their spring breeding areas in Northwest Africa to several Sahelian countries in West Africa, specifically Mauritania, Senegal and Mali, FAO said.

Previous Stories:
  Mauritania hails cooperation with Morocco to fight locusts   (8/10/2004)
  Moroccan experts help Mauritania fight locusts   (1/14/2004)
  Moroccan cargo runs aground off Mauritania shores   (8/7/2003)

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