Ministry for Foreign Affairs – November 13, 2011
A meeting of the ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Sahel countries (Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) will be convene in early December in Nouakchott, said Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel, speaking in Algiers on November 12.

“This meeting will be expanded to three other countries of the region, namely Chad, Burkina Faso and Nigeria,” said Mr. Messahel, speaking at a joint press conference held on the margins of the 10th session of the Algerian-Mauritanian Follow-up Committee with Mauritania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hamadi Ould Baba Ould Hamadi.

The decision to include these three countries was taken in light of the averred connections between the Nigeria-based Boukou Haram terrorist organization and terrorist organizations active in the Sahel region, added Mr. Messahel.
“Nigeria and Chad have a role to play in combating terrorism,” said the minister, before recalling that the Sahel countries have been cooperating in the military and security areas through mechanisms that have become “efficient” instruments in combating terrorism and organized crime in the sub-region.

“Our concertation takes place at both the bilateral and regional levels and our objective is to assess the terrorist threat level and act accordingly through very concrete collective measures,” added Mr. Messahel.

“This is a long-term effort requiring permanent concertation in order to jointly face this threat,” he said, while insisting on the need to combat, at the same time, poverty through implementation of joint development programs.

Addressing the situation in Libya, Mr. Messahel said that the Sahel countries are looking forward to the constitution of a new government in that country and hope that it will take “a clear stand” on the issues of counterterrorism and security in the Sahel region.

Moreover, replying to a question on the opening of entry points to allow circulation of persons along the Algerian-Mauritanian border, the minister delegate announced the upcoming creation of joint working groups with the goal of reaching an agreement of the opening of such entry points. He said, however, that circulation of persons between the two countries is not as significant as it is with other neighboring countries, such as Tunisia.

Discussing Algerian-Mauritanian bilateral cooperation, Mr. Messahel emphasized the significance of the 10th session of the Algerian-Mauritanian Follow-up Committee, saying that recommendations will be submitted to the Joint Bilateral High Commission, which will convene within the first three months of 2012 in Nouakchott.

Noting the “complementarity” between the two countries, Mr. Messahel said that priority will be given to cooperation in the energy area, reinforced by the oil exploration operations conducted by Sonatrach in Mauritania.

In this respect, the minister delegate called for increased Algerian-Mauritanian trade exchanges, which currently amount to $3 million.
Such increases could be generated by an intense and diversified partnership covering several sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, trade, health services, higher education, public works and vocational training,” added Mr. Messahel.

Speaking about the area of basic infrastructures, Mr. Messahel said the two countries are looking to implement a project involving construction of a 1,200 km-road system connecting the Wilaya of Tindouf in Algeria to the Mauritanian city of Choum.
With studies scheduled to be finalized in the coming weeks, the project will have significant economic repercussions for the local populations, he added.