Bir Mogrein - L'ayoun: unsafe
In recent years several travellers managed to pass the border between Bir Mogrein and La'Ayoun, Morocco. Although this is not an official borderpost, the procedure was simular to driving back from Mauritania to Morocco before february 2001 at the border Nouadhibou - Guergarat.
But now its strongly advised not to do this any longer. A dutch couple has been taken hostage in october for 5 days in nomansland by some Polisario related militians.
This incident almost led to the first military operations between Morocco and the Polisario in fifteen years. The couple were released after well equiped Mauritanian special forces threatend the kidnappers to attack them. The incident happend in one of the wadi's just one kilometer from the small ancien Spanish castle at the border of het Western Sahara.
Because the couple knew we were about to take the same route, de Dutch ambassador in Senegal, who was still in the Mauritanian capital, forbid us to do so.
Still there's a Mauritanian guide in Choum who offers to bring people to Bir Moghrein and tells them that it is still possible to travel to La'Ayoun. Perhaps he's right, but for the moment I wouldn't take the risk.
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