Mauritania

French presence

Consular section of the Embassy of France in Mauritania, in Nouakchott
Honorary Consul in Nouadhibou

French community in Mauritania: 1,678 French nationals registered, including 566 dual nationals (2023)

Consulate of Mauritania in France: Paris

Mauritanian community in France: 18,400 Mauritanians with residence permits (2021)

Visits

The French President visited Mauritania on 30 June 2020 for the Nouakchott Summit, and before that on 2 July 2018.

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, visited Nouakchott on 25 February 2020, 6 December 2018, 2 July 2018 and 12 June 2017.

The Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, visited Nouakchott on 10 March 2023.

Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation

France’s cooperation supports civil society initiatives (citizenship, gender equality, etc.) and assists Mauritania in the field of human rights and governance, as well as in its national higher education and research policy and teaching of French. In the year 2020-2021, 1,115 Mauritanians studied in France and the Théodore Monod French school in Nouakchott currently has 1,200 pupils at every stage of pre-school, primary and secondary education. Cultural cooperation is managed by the Institut Français in Mauritania, which also receives those interested in studying in France at the Campus France space, as well as the five Alliance Française branches in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Kiffa, Atar and Kaédi, which taught French to 2,350 Mauritanians in the year 2022-2023.

In addition, France supports the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria through its contribution to the Global Fund and funding for technical expertise and research, via L’Initiative, worth more than €1.15 million since 2014. France is a key partner of the Banc d’Arguin natural park, one of the largest protected nature reserves in Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1989.

French development cooperation is coupled with extensive security and defence cooperation. It aims in particular to strengthen Mauritania’s expertise in fighting terrorism and trafficking and is also illustrated by the regional partnership between France and the G5 Sahel in the security and development fields.