Mauritania: American experts to reinforce the army

The US under secretary of state for African affairs, who is in charge of western Africa affairs Pamela Bridgewater, currently visiting Nouakchott, announced that Washington sent military experts to Mauritania in order to "enhance the potentials" of the Mauritanian army in the area of monitoring borders and fighting terrorism via it.

Bridgestone told journalists after her meeting with the President of Mauritania, Mu'aweya Weld Taye, that the American experts team which is in Mauritania since Saturday, will train a contingent of the Mauritanian army in charge of monitoring the border. She indicated that the matter related to "strengthening the ability of this contingent in the field of monitoring the border, to prevent the sneaking of terrorist groups. She also said that the mission of the American team falls in the course of a regional initiative aiming at supporting several Sahara countries ( Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad) to fight the sneaking of terrorist groups. She continued that the USA had been working before September 11 events in partnership with Mauritania to fight international terrorism which affects all countries.

She said "I have expressed to the president the happiness of the US government towards the appreciated efforts made by Mauritania in the area of fighting terrorism."