Four Mauritanian soldiers killed in attack
 

Mauritania | Africa - Reuters.com - Four Mauritanian soldiers killed in attack

Ulrich

seems like RIM is yet another country where the situation is worsening by the day.... why are people so busy killing each other all around the world?

As a traveler this certainly does not encourage me. I already witnessed a couple of threads where threads related to people being murdered were evident. Its strange indeed what the innocent tourists have to do with the internal problems and they have to part with their lives. If security measures are not tightened travelers around the world would get a jolt.

You get much more international press coverage killing innocent tourists.
'Innocent westerners' are seen as part of the problem when wetern governments get involved in internal politics.

I wonder if these 'gunmen' were the Atar killers fleeing back to Alg or north Mali. Or maybe that is what the guy in the Reuters report is trying to imply.

... said a unit from the El Ghallawiya army outpost had tried to intercept two vehicles travelling through the desert area, not far from the huge Guelb er Richat crater.

"The fleeing occupants of the cars turned and opened fire on the army vehicle, killing three soldiers and seizing a weapon," the official said. The army was hunting for the attackers....


Ch

It would be good to think it was all connected as one, hopefully maverick incident. If Mauritania gets drawn in we might not be able to travel anywhere. Wasn't there something similar 4 years ago with that algerian rebel trying to disrupt the paris-dakar?

Mauritania Safety
 

Well, we'll just have to see how things pan out. Barbara and I are crossing Mauri from NDB to Ayoun and then onto Mali, using the main roads and will be there in just over three weeks. Be good if folks could continue to post updates.

We're on our way to Guinea Bissau researching the Globebusters expedition which we're running in December.

Here's hoping that things settle down again, it seems that local reaction is fairly strong though, will hopefully mean better security. I can cope with checkpoint hassle if it means a safer route. Shame that this isn't always the case ...

Cheers

Craig

Was searching for something else when i found this old thread from 2004
security in niger
worth reading again

Arrested in Mali
 

One of the suspected killers was arrested in Douentza in Mali on the 28th December. He had a automatic pistol, a granade and a satelite telephone in his possesion. The police that arrested him claimed that he was an algerian member of GCPC. They also said that they suspected him to have been killing the french family in Mauritania. If this is thrue I do not know. That he had weapons in his luggage is thrue though. We where in the same car heading for Timbuktu. Nice that the police arrested him. I do not like to be seated together with those guys.

Blimey!
 

You were in the same car as one of these characters? Blimey, must have been an alarming experience!

Craig

An experience
 

Yes. He was in the same car. Not a nice guy at all you might say. We were 14 people in the 4WD. Back home they are registered for 5 I think. That was 11 very nice locals, a very nice french aid-worker, this algerian and me. The locals were as uncomfortable as me with having had him onboard.