Atlantic Gas Pipeline: Mauritania faces legal and political challenges

Questions are mounting regarding Mauritania's involvement in the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, amid concerns that Nouakchott could be drawn into policies affecting the Western Sahara issue. This follows an unannounced visit by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to the Mauritanian capital. Expert Hamdi Yahdih warns that Morocco aims to use bilateral ties to bolster its occupation, citing discussions on a potential new border crossing. Meanwhile, former ambassador Amar Belani urges Mauritania to clarify its legal obligations. He emphasizes that the pipeline route traverses Western Sahara's waters, a territory with a separate international legal status according to the UN and the EU Court of Justice, making any project participation without the Sahrawi people's consent highly problematic.