Safety in Mauritania: what overland travellers should know

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 1 March 2026.

Safety

Declared military zone — Armed traffickers, illegal gold prospecting, mines and the risk of terrorist infiltration led the authorities to declare a military zone: bounded east and north by the Mauritanian borders, west by the 10th meridian and south by the 18°40' parallel. The Mauritanian defence ministry treats anyone transiting that part of the country as a military target.
Regions advised against — All travel is advised against north of Zouerate, north-east of the Zouerate–Ghallaouia line, east of the Ghallaouia–Akhrejit line, south-east of the Akhrejit–Kankossa line and in the belt along the Mali border; the Algerian and Western Sahara borders are ruled out too. Travel only for absolute necessity north of Choum–Aghouedir, east of Aghouedir–Tichit and south-east of Tichit–Kaedi, including the wilayas of Assaba, Gorgol and Guidimaka. Given the wider Sahel picture, where terrorist groups still operate and porous borders let them strike anywhere in the region, maximum caution applies everywhere.
Minefields — The northern region between Mauritania, Algeria and Western Sahara still holds minefields from the mid-1970s that have not been fully cleared. Around the PK55 border point at Nouadhibou the ground beside the main road is mined, so leaving the main road is out of the question. Non-essential travel from PK55 up to Zouérat is also advised against.
Convoy, not solo — Independent tourism is strongly advised against, especially by car in desert areas, and desert trips without operators of proven professionalism are ruled out — for accident and medical-emergency reasons as much as security, since help may be hard to reach. For long overland stages travel in a convoy of more than one vehicle, if possible with local drivers arranged through large hotels or reputable agencies, and never at night.
Two vehicles off-road — In areas with no paved road, such as the Banc d'Arguin national park, the ministry advises using two vehicles and being accompanied by experienced guides.
Nouakchott — Petty crime is rare in the capital thanks to heavy policing, but stay out of the far outskirts, avoid the isolated beaches facing Nouakchott and the 'Le Cinquième' district after sunset, and keep away from demonstrations. If security deteriorated, places frequented by foreigners could become targets, so prefer hotels with controlled access.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 1 March 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Mauritania before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 1 March 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.