Mauritania's army has held a series of military exercises on its south-eastern border with Mali amid increasing tension between the two countries after reported attacks on southern Mauritanian villages by Malian troops.
Army chiefs said the aim of the drills was to determine the “logistical needs” of military units and “to test infantry weapons, artillery, anti-aircraft guns, rocket launchers and combat aircraft”, said a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday.
“Aircraft weapons, artillery and special forces participated in destroying a hypothetical enemy who attempted to infiltrate the national territory for the purpose of carrying out an aggressive act,” it added.
The border exercises, which are the first the North African country has held in years, were attended by Mauritanian Defence Minister Hanan Ould Sidi, Interior Minister Mohamed Ahmed Ould Mohamed Lamine, and army chief Lt Gen Moktar Bella Chaabane.
The Lt Gen called on commanders and soldiers posted on the border to remain “constantly vigilant” and prepared to tackle any type of threat that might arise as a consequence of instability in the region.
Mauritanian media outlets last month reported the Malian army, accompanied by forces from Russia’s Wagner group, had stormed the border village of Fassala in pursuit of militants from Azawad, Mali's separatist Tuareg movement.
Mauritania summoned the Malian ambassador in Nouakchott, Mohamed Debassy, to protest against what it described as “repeated attacks” against Mauritanians living in Mali.
President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani sent Defence Minister Mr Ould Sidi to Bamako, Mali's capital, with a message for Malian military junta interim president, Assimi Goita, while government spokesman Nani Ould Achrouka warned that Mauritania would "hit twice as hard” against any attempt to intrude into its territory or harm its citizens.
Mali, which has been under military rule since a coup against former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's government in 2020, has remained silent on the issue.
Mauritania and Mali share a land border of 2,260km, most of which is desert.
The frontier has been volatile for years due to the presence of extremist groups such as Al Qaeda affiliates in the Maghreb and separatists such as the Azawad.
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
