Mauritania is facing mounting questions over a multimillion‑euro plan to equip its hospitals, after an independent investigation alleged that the military mishandled a major medical procurement on behalf of the Health Ministry. Instead of new diagnostic machines, the process has produced shifting contracts, large advance payments, and a change of suppliers, while hospitals continue to wait for equipment that should have been delivered months ago.

Mauritania’s Supreme Court has confirmed a 15-year prison sentence for former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering, marking the end of a historic legal process and setting a new regional precedent for the prosecution of financial crimes by former heads of state.

A string of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali—including the abduction of five Indian technicians and an Emirati businessman—highlights the increasing risks for foreign workers engaged in energy, mining, and infrastructure projects. The evolving tactics of armed groups and complex negotiation processes have led companies to overhaul security protocols and adjust operations to cope with persistent threats.