Algeria and Mauritania have signed a new defence cooperation agreement as part of efforts to enhance military collaboration and address regional security concerns across North Africa and the broader African continent.

The agreement was signed during an official visit to Algiers by Mauritanian Defence Minister Hanena Ould Sidi Ould Hane. His Algerian counterpart, Army General Said Chengriha, hosted the talks, during which both sides exchanged views on security developments and discussed strategies to bolster bilateral military relations.

While the details of the agreement remain undisclosed, a statement from Algeria’s Ministry of Defence highlighted the significance of the deal in light of shared geopolitical, economic, and security challenges. General Chengriha described the relationship between the two countries as a “model of cooperation and complementarity” among Arab and African nations, adding that current regional dynamics demand stronger joint action.

Minister Ould Hane echoed these sentiments, praising Algeria’s leadership in regional security matters and emphasizing the longstanding bonds of brotherhood and good neighbourliness between the two nations.

The defence accord reflects a broader trend of intensified cooperation between Algiers and Nouakchott in recent years. Frequent high-level exchanges between Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani have yielded strategic infrastructure initiatives, including the construction of a transnational road, the development of a modern border post, and the establishment of a bilateral free trade zone.

The new agreement signals a continued commitment to security and stability in a region increasingly shaped by transnational threats, including terrorism, trafficking, and political instability.