Shadow of the Makhzen: Moroccan Infiltration Strategy in Mauritania Exposed
✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – September 2025 – Nouakchott is no stranger to the ambitions of its northern neighbor, but a confidential report from the Mauritanian intelligence services, recently leaked, casts a harsh light on the depth of Morocco’s covert operations inside Mauritania. Far from being a routine diplomatic appointment, the installation of a minister-consul in Nouadhibou is described as a calculated move within a long-term strategy of infiltration, manipulation, and control orchestrated by the Makhzen.
According to the report, Rabat has, for more than two decades, cultivated an extensive network of influence designed to penetrate Mauritania’s political, economic, and social fabric. The Moroccan embassy in Nouakchott and the consulate in Nouadhibou serve as fully fledged intelligence hubs. The targets? Influential notables, retired military officers, political figures, businessmen—lured through scholarships, contracts, official invitations, and economic incentives.
The dossier further points to cultural and media platforms discreetly financed by Rabat to disseminate pro-Moroccan propaganda, reinforcing narratives favorable to Morocco’s regional agenda. The strategy follows a dual track: neutralizing Mauritania’s stance on Western Sahara—by preventing any active recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)—and transforming Mauritania into a strategic corridor toward West Africa, while monitoring Sahrawi militants and refugees on its soil. Nouadhibou and Zouerate, the report stresses, are at the epicenter of this penetration, functioning as strategic outposts for surveillance of trade flows, foreign visits, and networks linked to Western Sahara.
Espionage, Pegasus, and Digital Blackmail
The most alarming revelations concern espionage. Moroccan services deployed the infamous Pegasus spyware against senior Mauritanian political and military officials. By harvesting sensitive data, Rabat is said to have built comprehensive databases allowing it to anticipate Nouakchott’s sovereign decisions.
The report also documents intimidation tactics and blackmail schemes, exploiting personal and compromising information to keep key figures under Moroccan control. The fallout is stark: erosion of Mauritania’s political independence, deliberate manipulation of social and tribal divisions, and the transformation of the country into a proxy battlefield in Morocco’s regional power struggles.
According to the intelligence source, these networks do not serve Rabat alone. They function as conduits for other foreign powers eager to leverage Mauritania’s strategic location, with Israel’s shadow looming ominously in these covert maneuvers.
These findings strip away the façade of Moroccan diplomacy in Mauritania. The appointment of a minister-consul in Nouadhibou is not a mere bureaucratic formality; it represents yet another building block in a systematic strategy of interference. The aim is clear: to reshape Mauritania’s political, economic, and media landscape into one subservient to Moroccan interests.
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