Tourism opening up in Mauritania

[lbendel]

L'Adrar mauritanien en toute sécurité !

Thanks in great part to the efforts of Maurice Freund (of "Point Afrique" fame), the French govt has agreed to stop discouraging people from going to Mauritania, by updating its official "traveller's advice" map :



(at Mauritanie)

See the FCO's version in comparison :


(at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritania)

Of course we knew this was political bullshit and it hasn't prevented us from visiting this country, but apparently it is of huge importance to (French) travel agencies, which can now legally send tourists over there.

Laurent

PS: at the same time, we hear news of a Frenchman abducted from Chad, which was supposed to be the safest country in Sahel. Let's wait for more information

[priffe]

Not a big difference between the maps, but important for Chinguetti and Atar of course.
It does affect liability and insurance.
They still consider the Malian border unsafe. Kiffa - Kankossa - Ayoun is ok though, no problems for years now.

[Cutrex]

We were four 4x4 in November: Nouadhibou-Ben Amera-Atar-Chinguetti-Tidjikja-Kiffa-Nouakchott-Nouadhibou. Most of it cross-country or along lonely pistes. No security issues at all. Frequent on-road checkpoints with friendly personnel, and lots of fiches to be given. They like to know the envisaged itinerary, and came in the middle of night to our camp near the Nega Pass 'to warrant our security' (great apprehension at their approach, though). Then warned to the next patrol after the Pass, who came to meet us.

In general, my advice would be to travel discreetly, but not to be 'overclever' by dismissing or lying to the gendarmerie, who in general only want to help. It is a matter of keeping the right temperature.

The most sinester stage was running late in the night along the railway. We were told that the Polisario behave as bandits. However, and fortunately, I have not any bad experience to this respect.

Wishing to come back.

Cheers,

Cutrex

[roro]

Hi,

Thanks for these infos.
And:
"we hear news of a Frenchman abducted from Chad" : Please, let us know more détails(when,where...), I didn't know this info.

RR.

[Diamond]

Hi, I am planning on flying into and then riding the iron ore train carts from zouerat to the coast.

Please may someone post the Google earth coordinates for the area where I can board the iron ore carts in zouerat?

Also I heard there are three trains leaving zouerat each day, if I am riding in the iron ore carts can I board any one of the three trains?

Does anyone know the approx leaving times from zouerat of the three trains? ( I understand only one of these trains has a passenger car attached)

Many thanks

Diamond

[Chris Scott]

Most people take the train from the coast and get off at Choum for Atar.
Once you're in Z, I imagine finding out will be easy enough.
This lot managed in 2016 Contact them.

Hard to believe they dig fast enough to fill three, 200-wagon trains a day; or there's a fixed schedule.
Maybe 3 a week? Or more likely when the wagons are full, like a bush taxi.
Looks quite cozy!

[vrecha]

In the spring 2017 there were three trains per day. Only the "morning one" had passenger wagon attached. It is best to ask about the schedule when you are there. Finding a "train station" once in Zouerate will be no problem, the people are very nice and helpful, anyway, if you feel you need a contact to help you, I can recommend one or two (but shouldn't be a problem if you just go, ask and arrange everything by yourself).

[Diamond]

Many thanks for your replies both.

I work in the mining industry (hence the user name), unfortunately if the iron ore price drifts further south over the next decade I think SNIM could be in trouble with there relatively low grade operations around Zouerate.

They already had a large 'efficiency drive'/cull of employees a few years back. But they still kept the plant throughput rate and number of trains a day the same. SNIM's breakeven iron ore price is ~60$/tonne after this recent cost cutting (versus ~20$/tonne for the big boys operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia). So given the current iron ore price of 62$/tonne they are breaking even at present.

Given SNIM is a big chunk of Mauri's economy things could slide a bit over the next decade if they can't boost other sectors.

[zenbiker]

Hi All,

Great to read your comments.

My lady and I are planning a big one leaving in July '19 - Nordkapp to Cape Town via west Africa route, but have no experience of travelling there on the 'Dark Continent'.

It's security that's the issue.

What's your advice on the security on the W-Sahara / Mauritania border? The UK Govt and the French say no-go. What's the nature of the problem? Your thoughts?

Cheers,

Simon

[Chris Scott]

IMO there is no problem here at all.
It's a good example of how misleading this foreign ministry advice can be,
They [security issues] start in far east RIM – easy to avoid – then upper Mali and Burkina - see other forum.

Good luck with your trip.

[zenbiker]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the reply.

(You'll be pleased to know we're making good use of your book in preparing ourselves - and the HUBB. We'll be at the HU gathering next month. Will you?)

It's confusing. I've looked carefully at the UK Govt travel advice and it just doesn't seem to chime with what I find when I closely look at the HUBB. I studied the North Africa and the sub-Saharan threads yesterday looking for comments re the areas marked in red by UK Govt (ie, 'do not go there'; borders of W-Sahara/Maure, Nigeria/Cameroon, Cameroon/DRC) but can't find any real evidence that there are problems there. How am I supposed to understand this?

It would be one issue if I were going there alone, but I'm taking my lady, too.

Do you have advice on the borders of Cameroon?

I didn't understand the final comment of your reply:

They start in far east RIM (easy to avoid) then upper Mali and Burkina - see other forum.

If you can clarify, I'd be grateful.

Either way, thanks - very helpful.

Cheers,

Simon

[Chris Scott]

Hi Simon, yes, I'll be at HUBBUK, but the regional forums here are by far the best way to get a feel for an area.

How am I supposed to understand this?

Well with the UK FCO it's a lot better than it used to be when they wrote off whole countries because of trouble in one corner.
The important work is travel advice.
Unfortunately people, including insurance companies and travel media, interpret this travel advice as a government edict.

In the case of Mauritania what do the Brits know that the French don't?
They don't even have an embassy there and the online 'zones' map is 2 years old.

Why would they say (among other regions)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to:
• the province of Adrar (east of Atar)
• within 25km of the Western Sahara border (except the Noukchott - Nouadhibou corridor)

When every day for years people cross 'Western Sahara' border without issues and in March I got off a full plane of French tourists in Atar and we all split off to travel around the Adrar (not a red zone to the French) without issue.

And then look at the FCO map of Algeria - as green as you like (though of course you can't get to most of it).

But not all FCO maps are off: Mali, Burkina, Libya and Tunisia all accurate, fwik. Interestingly non-WS Morocco is spared a map.

I don't keep up with Cameroon but I'm sure the sub-Sahara forum will put you right. Was the border closed for a bit?

I clarified my last line.

[Dave The Hat]

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but it's well worth 15 minutes of your time. Absolutely wonderful footage of the iron ore train, it beings back some very happy memories!

https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/05/...g-documentary/

[Diamond]

Thanks for the video link - brings back memories.

I rode from Zouérat to the coast back last November. Train was supposed to set off at 16:00 but arrived at 22:30, then it was a long 21 hour ride to the coast.

The video clips of the iron ore in the wagons looks much better (coarser) than the stuff I had to bury myself into (the train wagons can randomly kick quite hard). The iron ore dust permeates everything (even if it is wrapped in bin bags very well), and I was washing iron ore out of my ears etc for at least a week afterwards(despite wearing ear plugs). I had to throw away all clothes at the end of it.

Number one tip for anyone wanting to ride is wear swimming googles and a decent dust mask.

[garbolino]

Don't want to spoil the party, but if you are travelling to Mauritania, please be aware of the following report:

The Renewed Jihadi Terror Threat to Mauritania/

"Abstract: A decade ago, terrorism was rampant in Mauritania, but then it stopped, even as terrorist activity was rapidly proliferating all around it. Instead of being a target of terrorism, Mauritania became a node of passive jihadi activity. Various explanations were proffered as to why this was happening: Mauritania was good at counterterrorism; the government had made a deal with the devil; jihadi groups respected Mauritania’s neutrality. On May 8, 2018, however, al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb issued a communiqué that specifically mentioned Mauritania in a call for attacks, signaling a possible renewed jihadi terror threat to the country."

I believe there are reasons to be vigilant when going there.
/Johan