Government spokesperson: All Indications are that the Dialog will be Inclusive of the Political Spectrum

The  Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication and Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesperson, Mr. El Hussein Ould Medou, said that President of the Republic Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani wants the dialogue, for which preparations have started, to be inclusive and not exclude anyone, stressing that all indications currently suggest that it will be inclusive of all the colors of the political spectrum.

In response to a question on the subject, while commenting on the results of the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday evening in the speech room at the headquarters of the Mauritanian News Agency in Nouakchott, with the Ministers of Justice, Mines and Industry, Environment and Sustainable Development, he emphasized that this dialogue is an exception to previous dialogues, as it is not dictated by political pressures or constraints (coup or elections), and has been given enough time to be successful

The government spokesperson emphasized that the President of the Republic has committed the government to more consultation and openness in public policies, both in their conception and implementation, especially with those who are targeted by them

For his part, the Minister of Justice, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Cheikh Abdallah Ben Boye, said that the draft law on criminal procedures aims to reorganize the criminal record, adopt digitization in various criminal proceedings, and avoid conflicts with some provisions of similar laws, such as the Police Statute and the Civil Status Code.

He added that the amendment includes revising the provisions of Articles 19 and 23 to align them with the requirements of the aforementioned laws. This amendment will also have the effect of strengthening the four areas (judicial police, identity, digitization and improvements to the judicial registry), as it proposes in the former to extend its scope to include non-commissioned police officers, and in the latter to match the criminal identity with the identity provided for in the Civil Status Law.

With regard to digitization, the minister said that the project proposes to recognize electronic writing and signatures and give them the same legal value as paper. As for improvements to the judicial record, the project proposes restructuring the criminal record system in a way that restores its reputation after it was chaotic and disorganized in the past.

He pointed out that this amendment falls within the framework of the reforms launched by the ministry to implement the outcomes of the Justice Reform and Development Document, and to keep pace with national efforts in the field of digitization, and the accompanying challenges that require legislative systems to keep pace with them

Commenting on the oral statement on the Made in Mauritania 2025 Expo, which he presented today to the Council of Ministers, H.E. the Minister of Mines and Industry, Mr. Etiam El Tijani, stressed that the President of the Republic gave directives to the government to improve the conditions of manufacturers, which will be achieved through improving manufacturing performance and developing infrastructures.

He spoke about the development of local industry and its role in the national economy and reducing unemployment, saying that Mauritania can become an industrial pole, as it has been able to achieve self-sufficiency in many fields, which proves the success of the local industry policy, adding that the government is working to manufacture raw materials locally

instead of exporting them raw abroad.

The Minister praised the success of the second edition of the Expo Festival, inaugurated by the President of the Republic and organized by the National Union of Mauritanian Employers, highlighting that the number of participants in this edition increased to 154 companies instead of 74 in the last edition, a qualitative increase in the offer, as well as the precision of the organization

In response to a question about the prospectors in the Tamayeh area, the Minister reiterated that the decision of His Excellency the President of the Republic to grant licenses to prospectors is irreversible. However, after reviewing the reality of the region and based on the recommendations of the committee in charge of inventorying and inspecting the work inside it, it was decided to abandon the current procedures related to granting these licenses in the Tamayeh area, which is located in areas with a high density of traditional prospectors in order to avoid conflicts, adding that it was decided to exclude areas with currently active wells from the boundaries of the previously granted licenses

Regarding well owners who have reached an agreement with operators or entered into cooperation agreements with private operators, the minister said that they will be given three months after the notification to comply with the conditions of using the corridor by submitting a small mine license application in accordance with the applicable regulatory framework, and if the deadline expires without resolving the situation, their activities will be suspended or banned in accordance with the applicable regulations.

For her part, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ms. Massouda bint Baham Ould Mohamed Laghdhaf, said that the bills approved by the Council of Ministers today consist of two types, the first of which concerns four additional protocols to the Abidjan Accord, which our country ratified in 1981, which are regional laws that provide for cooperation to protect the environment, and have been signed by 22 African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

She explained that this protocol is important for Mauritania because it possesses a large wealth of fish in the high seas, and the Mauritanian state has initiated communication with the parties concerned with the agreement to sign it, noting that the draft laws approved aim to avoid pollution in coastal areas and create green spaces on the beaches.

The second type of environmental project approved today, the High Seas Biodiversity Convention, signed in 2023 by 112 countries and ratified so far by 21 countries, seeks to establish a legislative framework to regulate offshore areas to preserve biodiversity, after legislation was limited to near-shore areas (200 kilometers).