West Africa and the Sahel have experienced a surge of violent attacks against civilian and military targets in recent years. Furthermore, terrorist and armed groups are increasingly present across borders employing hybrid tactics. The rapidly deteriorating situation which has been exacerbated by renewed engagements in local conflicts and an increase in attacks since early 2021 has underscored the need to align national counter-terrorism laws with the international legal framework.
In this context, UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch delivered a legislative assistance workshop to Mauritanian authorities in Nouakchott on 26-27 January 2022 to enhance the country’s national counter-terrorism legal framework and ensure its compliance with international legal norms.
During the event, participants identified assistance to victims of terrorism, as well as their compensation and reparation as two priority areas, while also highlighting the importance of international cooperation, prevention, the status of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), and international sanctions.
The exchanges were enriched by the involvement of several local actors, namely, a Spanish magistrate specialized in counterterrorism , as well as representatives from the Mauritanian National Committee to Combat Terrorism, which was created in 2019 and designated to align the current Mauritanian legislation in line with UNSC counter-terrorism resolutions.
Looking ahead, participants and UNODC experts agreed on developing a long-term roadmap to strengthen Mauritania’s national anti-terrorism legislation in compliance with UNSC resolutions and international conventions against terrorism.
The workshop was made possible by the financial support provided by Spain.
