Situation in Mauritania since 29Nov09?

[chris]

Hi
Didn’t want to hijack this thread on the hostage kidnap: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/sahara-travel-forum/western-tourists-attacked-in-mauritania-46792
so wish to start a new thread. Has anyone travelled into/through Mauritania since the day (night) of the kidnappings? What’s the situation now in terms of security? Any change to before?

I’m monitoring the situation, but from a personal point of view... My bike is already in Malaga, I have a flight to Malaga booked for 18Dec09 and a flight from Dakar back to the UK booked for end of December (bike parking in Gambia). My plan was (and still is) to transit Mauritania down the main coast road, right past where it happened.

I intend to ride in the daylight only.

This might seem like a very silly question: How busy is the main Atlantic highway in Mauritania? Do you see a vehicle every minute/ every hour/ 5 cars all day?

Cheers for any input.

Ride and drive safely,
Chris

[rob_NL]

Chris, that's exactly what I also would like to know.

Furthermore, did anyone experience raised police/army/security-activity? Is all they do ask for cadeaux or do they actually contribute to safety?

[Richard K]

There is frequent traffic on the road and plenty of checkpoints. If concerned you could convoy up quite easily (although that did not help the 3 Spaniards).

Paradoxically the road is likely to be a much safer place right now, if only on the basis that it would be a strange strategy for them to attempt a repeat operation in the same area so soon.

I haven't heard what additional security measures are in place if any.

[Chris Scott]

It's a good question and thanks for not hijacking the main thread.

This audacious event has thrown a spanner in the works of many people's travel plans - including those who weren't looking for a hardcore desert adventure but merely wanted to transit Mori on the way to somewhere warm.

As someone said, there's a tendency to think the sky has fallen in but it's very unlikely to happen again there soon (I hope I am not proved wrong). We're talking a few hours along a good tar road with checkpoints. Do it in daylight (it seems the Spanish convoy did not) with your wits about you and, apart from the checkpoint hassle mentioned, you'll be fine.

At worst the army may impose an armed escort from NDB to NKT leaving at set times. But knowing the deal with such escorts before in WS, Niger and Egypt (for the same reasons), they just tear off towards the horizon so real no protection, just the tedium of signing on and waiting till they decide to leave.

Even when the 32 got grabbed in Algeria in 2003 it took the Algerians months to impose new escort rules on all pistes which ended the party there. If that happens in Mori it's ker-ching for local tourist agencies and another - maybe the last? - nail in the coffin for independent Saharan tourism.

Ch

[pbak]

Hi all

Travelling on the main road is one thing but my plan for visiting Mauretania was to go inland, take a train and enjoy the dessert. This may be not a good idea at the moment though I am still wondering what to do. Has anybody tried that recently?

Furthermore, has anybody tried to get Mauretanian visa in Rabat? I hope they haven't introduced any restrictions so far.

Best regards

Pawel

[addax]

same question as pawel: can we still get visa in Rabat?

Normally we will start our trip from Nouadibhou to Atar near the railway and further to chingeutti, Tichit, Nema, direction to Mali, Bamako.
I hope that it will be possible to cross the border between Maroc/mauritanie.

[strimstrum]

Rick Travis is currently in Rabat getting a visa. He posts under TravisRTW so keep a look out for any posts from him coming from beneath Western Sahara because that means that he must have been successful over the past couple of days in Rabat.

[strimstrum]

Just checked my e-mails and Rick Travis has sent me a "SPOT" GPS location last night which is south of Rabat and my guess is that he would only continue his journey to Mauritania if he had a visa. Will post again if I get a definitive answer.

[chris]

Hi strimstrum
Great stuff. Let us know if and when Rick gets in touch.
cheers
Chris

[doues_1n2]

Hey All,

Im new to Horizon's unlimited but thank heavens for this site!! Good work all.

So, we are planning to transit mauri in early jan (new years day possibly) in a 4wd. We are solo and given the situation at the moment obviously somewhat concerned about the security. My question is, is it easy/possible to convoy up with fellow travellers at NDB the morning of the proposed drive to NKT? How long is the drive and is the road tarmac the whole way? What is the safety situation like in NKT and from there to senegal?

We have been planning and building our car for a long time now and would be disappointing to cancel it, but would feel safer transiting with at least another vehicle rather than solo.

Thanks again all!

p.s. we plan to get visa's in rabat on the 22nd on our way south.

Cheers!

[Richard Washington]

This is a general response to the question of whether it is safe in Mauri at the moment. At the start I've assumed that AQ-M did the hit on the Spanish. If that has been confirmed already, then I've missed it. The short answer is that for the moment I wouldn't go but the chances of being taken are low. I wouldn't go because the enjoyment factor would be a limited. I like to enjoy the desert.

What AQ-M have shown now is that they can take prisoners from tar roads near capital cities (Spanish in Mauri, Canadian diplomats near Niamey, Niger) and from the street in front of hotels. They are confident, bold and appear to plan well. If you're in their sights, there is not much you can do to escape. Driving in a convoy won't necessarily help. Driving during the day won't necessarily help. On the other hand, if they haven't made a plan to kidnap you or someone passing through at that time, your chances of free passage are excellent. The Spanish convoy was hugely conspicuos. It would take one lad with a phone to report the passing of the convoy at km X in order to make the hit 10km down the road. Easily done. And once AQ-M and hostages are all in the same car, there is not much that can be done.

There was a case a few years ago of German tourists in Mali who bumped into AQ-M in the desert. The Germans were held overnight and then released the next day so that they could not raise the alarm overnight. In this case it seems AQ-M had not planned to take anyone. They were either not set up to do so and/or their command structure is hierarchical and the troops can't make spontaneous and opportunistic moves. If true, that makes the chances of not being taken very, very much higher. Its only if you're in their sights at the time.

Am I right in thinking AQ-M has 4 people now (3 Spanish + one French)? The last session involved slightly more (2 Canadian + Edwin Dyer + another German?+ the Austrians). I think this is a spread betting technique. First it is a manageable number (I doubt they'd go for 32 again) to maintain in the desert and second, there are economies of scale. You can line them all up at once to phone families to argue for ransom. Doing one or two at a time would not be as efficient. So what does this mean? To me, near the start of the winter season, it suggests we could see more action. Perhaps 2 more. But probably not in Mauri.

If caught, its essentially a long, long wait and a lot of uncertainty. At the moment there is not much anyone can do, even if one's position is known.
It is plausible that the premature announcement that the Spanish had been found was simply that. The Mauri army knew where they were but could do nothing besides allow AQ-M free passage (that in order to keep the prisoners alive). That, I understand, is the basis for the passage of the Austrians who were taken from Tunisia to N Mali via Libya/Algeria. Its the same off Somalia. A destroyer can stand-off from a 30 foot yacht filled with pirates + hostages and do absolutely nothing.

There are some interesting, open questions. Why no kidnappings in Algeria or Libya? Is Gadaffi an important link for the ransom payments and, in response, have AQ-M made a deal to stay clear? In Algeria, perhaps it is the guides, who sign their live's and the lives of of their families away to look after their clients. But why exactly do AQ-M care about the guide and the guide's family? I don't understand that part.

[priffe]

I would say the risk of being kidnapped on the NDB-NKT road is near nil. And this haven't changed last week, other than it may be even safer now than before.
I'll be passing through in January and not worried. There's a lot of other things that can go wrong. I think I'll leave the Mauri desert to be explored another year.

The news that the hostages were released seems to have come from a Moroccan source trying to put the blame on Polisario. It was quickly corrected.

I also thought about the numbers. That is why I wrote that their quota may not yet be filled, and there may be more action in the coming month or two.
Six to eight would be a reasonable number of hostages. Having 32 wouldn't yield much more money and the logistics would be a challenge.
If there hasn't been any kidnappings in Libya I would think it is because nobody wants to mess with Qadaffi. And in Algeria, there are too many gendarmes. Niger and Mali is much easier. Tunisia was the surprise. And now Mauri, meaning there isn't a safe place anywhere.

Boy I'd hate to be kidnapped. Not afraid of death, but the boredom of spending months with those fanatics in the wild would surely be a fate even worse. I would flat out refuse to go anyhwhere.

[It begins with Africa]

It was said last night on one of the Moroccan TV channels (sorry for the lack of precision but I have not seen it myself; the info. was relayed to me later on) that the Moroccan-Mauritanian border has been closed. Rumours go that it is also no longer possible to cross the Mauritano-Malian border at Nioro.

We are cycling and not so keen on crossing the Western Sahara, only to be told at the border that the frontier is closed, but we no longer want to stay on the Moroccan coast with other travellers and wonder what's going on either, so we will just carry on as normal and hope for smore reliable news as we get closer. We could not find anyone on their way back from Mauritania to talk to but will definitely post something here as soon as we get any confirmation on the border situation.

[Chris Scott]

[I moved Alg comments to Algerian doubts - this one is specifically about Mori travel info since Nov 29]

Ch

[tourdeforce]

Hi,

I just spoke by phone today with the driver of an Oasis Overland truck who is currently driving down the main NDB-NKT road with 26, yes count'em ,26 Gendarmerie as an escort.

They seem to be taking tourist security seriously.

She said that the security forces were a bit jumpy, but that apart from that, everything seemed ok.