35 Mauritanian Citizens Return Home After Weeks in Detention in Mali

An aircraft operated by Mauritania Airlines landed Wednesday afternoon at Nema Airport, capital of Hodh Chargui Wilaya, carrying 35 Mauritanian citizens who were released after nearly three weeks in detention in the Republic of Mali.
The citizens had arrived in Mali from Côte d’Ivoire before being detained. They were received at Nema Airport by Hodh Chargui Wali Isselmou Ould Sidi, in the presence of Colonel Idoumou Ould Mohamed Oumar, Commander of the 5th Military Region; Mohamedou Tijani, President of the Hodh Chargui Regional Council; the Mayor of Nema; and senior security and military officials from the wilaya.
Speaking to the press, Ambassador Mohamed Mouloud Ould Mohamed Salem, Director General of Mauritanians Abroad and head of the diplomatic mission that accompanied the released citizens, said their release and return to Mauritania were made possible through the personal intervention of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
He also highlighted the continuous coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad and the Ministry of Defense, Retirees, and Children of Martyrs’ Affairs.
The ambassador praised the meeting with the administrative, security, and military authorities of Hodh Chargui, stressing that the presence of the wali, the president of the regional council, and security and military officials reflected the high level of coordination and cooperation among the various stakeholders.
He emphasized that this coordination demonstrated the State’s attention to the situation of its citizens and its commitment to keeping its institutions and services at the disposal of Mauritanians both inside and outside the country. He added that protecting citizens and following up on their affairs remains a priority for the public authorities.
Ambassador Mohamed Mouloud Ould Mohamed Salem further noted that the citizens’ return provided another opportunity to highlight the values of solidarity, mutual assistance, and national cohesion that characterize the Mauritanian people. He said the case had received widespread attention and follow-up, along with numerous expressions of solidarity from Mauritanians across all communities and regions.
For his part, Mohamed Ould M’bareck, one of the citizens who returned on the flight, expressed appreciation for the intervention of the national authorities, saying it reflected the State’s concern for the safety of its citizens abroad and its determination to ensure their safe return home.
The returning citizens were welcomed in an atmosphere of great joy by their families and relatives, following several weeks of close monitoring and anxious waiting over the fate of those detained.
Regarding arrangements for their return to their respective places of residence, the administrative authorities initiated the necessary procedures to transport 30 of the citizens to their home localities in Hodh Chargui Wilaya. The remaining five continued their journey to Nouakchott, accompanied by the diplomatic mission.