Yeah I hear what you're saying, I haven't just come in here blind. The issue I'm facing is there is so much information, some of it contradictory, some of it old, it's always changing, so it's hard to know what is right. And even when you know it's right, you don't know if it's the best option.

So it was more of a generic 'what did other people do' call, rather than a 'do all the work for me' call.

Nevertheless those links you gave are good so thanks for that.

There is only one crossing. Look at the map.

You've just made it very clear to yourself too, you're doing the research now for a trip that might start in a year or so?

BUT as with the rest of the continent, visas/borders/internal crisis etc can change at any given moment, you will have to keep your ear to the ground once on the road! So keep that in mind too!!!

Trying to dot all the ii and cross all the tt for a trip in Africa at a distance of one year is a sure receipt for failure and frustration.

Dan, Africa is a different continent and very different from what us, westerners are used. The best approach, as a matter of fact, is to just plan very broadly (and I mean to plan just rough dates to start and end and an idea of countries you want to visit and stop the planning there) and once there just go with the flow. Don't try to plan for you'll soon find that nothing will ever go according to what you planned. You won't be able to keep schedules or even fixed dates and many times places you want to visit will suddenly become off-limits and you end up visiting other places which you didn't consider originally. Changes happen without any prior notice, political situations change from one day to the next, rules are enforced differently even inside the same country, some others are made on the spot according to your demeanor and a very big etc fueling the uncertainty. There exists a handful of countries in the continent where things are more reliable and organized but these are the exception rather than the rule.

Go there and start going. Then just allow things to happen and go where you can according to what you hear on the spot at any given time. And always, no matter what, take it easy. Let it flow.

No not starting in a year or so, starting as soon as I can, my aim is for the end of the year. Save and train while I research.

I know I'm not as experienced as everyone else on here, and some of you might be thinking I'm crazy or that's it's undoable, and it could be, that's the whole point of digging.

I take this seriously, I take safety seriously but I can't be expected to be the master of Sahara travel and know everything after 2 weeks looking into it, which is why I value everyones comments so much.

Please forgive my ignorance sometimes dumb questions, but if you don't ask you don't learn right? I see now the title of this thread is kind of dumb, but hey at least I know a lot more now and I have somewhere I can start.

Thanks for all the comments, and if you have more info to add please do

I've been surfing the web and reading up on the situation in Mauritania. Luckily I read/speak Arabic, so I can get different points of views.

Apparently the Mauri government is desperate to be taken off the travel warnings list, especially the French Foreign Offices list, as they're keenly aware of the consequences of being on it.

Tourism has plummeted just as they wanted to expand the sector. Every news article has some Mauritania government official telling how safe the country is and how terrorism has been suppressed, and they're campaigning hard with the French to change the country's status. Officials from the Mauritania ministry of tourism have also participated in fairs/expos to draw attention to what the country has to offer.

Personally I'd take everything with a grain of salt. I don't believe the Mauritania government painting a perfectly safe picture, just as i don't take our governments travel warnings literally. Sometimes the foreign offices use the broadest red paintbrush they have on the country maps.

On another note, I found this article in Arabic about rumors with AQIM striking a deal with the Mauritanian government.

Found a English version too. Thought some of you might find it interesting.

http://reut.rs/1oMv6f0

Perhaps there was some kind of deal, or not. What we know is that AQIM isnt much of a threat anymore. Nor are there any kidnappings. The problem now is the threat from cells or individuals or new groups that has lead to attacks in Ouaga, Cote d'Ivoire, Bamako, Marrakech, Hurghada.... Next could be Dakar, Accra, Nouakchott or just about anywhere. Paris, Brussels, Stockholm...which means there is little we can do except be vigilant when travelling.
The Olga Bogorad mentioned in the Reuter's article is a good source for correct and up to date information https://twitter.com/bogorad_olga