Crime in Mauritania

Formal security actors in Mauritania include the Direction Générale de la Sûreté Nationale (DGSN), Police nationale, Gendarmerie nationale, Garde nationale, Groupe général de sécurité routière, local Commissariats de police and the Ministry of the Interior. The DGSN covers public security, police investigations, protection of people and property, organized crime, cybercrime, terrorism and financial or economic crime. Reported police priorities include murder, rape, haraba, theft, moral offences and armed gatherings involving violence or looting. Crime patterns reported by security assessments include pickpocketing, theft, residential burglary, mugging, armed robbery, assault, rape, carjacking, kidnapping or banditry, drug and organized crime, economic and financial crime, and online financial or romance scams. Risk is not uniform across the country. In Nouakchott, unlit or isolated beaches, Le Cinquième, Dar Naim and Citè Plage are repeatedly identified as higher-risk locations, and one assessment flags areas outside Tevragh Zeina. The fifth district, beach areas, northern and eastern regions, the Mali-Mauritania routes and northern roads also require increased caution. Kidnapping, banditry, extremist violence and terrorism are concentrated especially in eastern and northern areas, border zones and routes near Mali, Algeria and Western Sahara. The military zone in the northeast is closed to civilian access. Travel advisories differ by issuing state: Australia advises against travel to Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Assaba and Guidimaka, and within 25 kilometres of the northern Western Sahara border; the United Kingdom advises against all travel east of the Kankossa-Akhreijit-Ghallaouia-Zouerat line and within 25 kilometres of the Mali border; the United States advises against travel north of the Tropic of Cancer and within 60 miles of the Mali and Algeria borders; and Canada advises avoiding all travel in northern and eastern zones and in the military zone. Reduce exposure by avoiding remote or unpatrolled beaches, walking alone at night, isolated travel, demonstrations, remote border routes and unnecessary travel in high-risk areas. Travel in groups or convoys with an experienced guide where conditions require it. Keep valuables hidden, lock car doors, keep windows closed, secure your passport and identity documents, and carry copies for checkpoints. Follow security-force instructions and do not photograph military, government or security sites. Monitor local media and current security advisories because conditions and access restrictions can change. For an immediate police need, call 117 or visit a Commissariat de police. Police nationale information describes 117 as free, available 24 hours a day and nationwide, with emergency patrol links in Nouakchott. A standard report generally leads to a complaint or report, scene assessment, investigation, possible arrest, referral to the public prosecutor and offender documentation. No standard filing fee or general reporting deadline was published, and emergency response capacity can be limited outside Nouakchott. Other listed numbers are 116 for the Gendarmerie nationale, 102 for the Garde nationale, 119 for the Groupe général de sécurité routière, +222 45253990 for the Gendarmerie maritime, +222 45252518 for the Brigade mixte de gendarmerie, 118 for fire services and 101 for SAMU medical emergencies. Numbering information conflicts: one Australian listing gives 119 for the Gendarmerie, while a United Kingdom advisory warns that authorities may not answer. Verify locally when possible and use 117 for an immediate police need. The DGSN also provides 190 as a free channel for police praise or complaints. It does not replace an emergency crime report. Trafficking or people-smuggling reports can be made through the free number 1916. No universal victim-compensation amount, general victim helpline, shelter network or standard victim-service eligibility was identified. Local authorities investigate and prosecute offences. Consular services may help with medical care, lawyers, reporting guidance, contact with relatives, documents or repatriation, but they do not replace Mauritanian police or prosecutors. Himayeti is an official human-rights complaint portal for alleged rights violations or abuse, not a general substitute for a police report. A complaint can include the complainant's or victim's identity and contact details, the date, place and nature of the violation, evidence, photos or video, witnesses and any earlier report. The portal provides a claim reference for tracking. The Human Rights Directorate complaints unit, within the Commissariat aux Droits de l'Homme, à l'Action Humanitaire et aux Relations avec la Société Civile, states a one-week processing time, no fee and an appeal to the Director of Human Rights. Digital crime can be reported through 117 or a Commissariat de police. The DGSN has a cybercrime service, a digital laboratory, digital-evidence recovery and internet-monitoring functions. Preserve screenshots, URLs, account details, messages and transaction evidence. The signalements.gov.mr portal accepts illegal-content reports with optional name and contact details, platform, WhatsApp source, URL, content type, date, offence type, description and up to four files; no investigative or recovery power is stated for that portal. Special Commissariats for mineurs en conflit avec la loi, meaning minors in conflict with the law, have been reported in three Nouakchott Wilayas and Dakhlet Nouadhibou. Public information did not identify a current age threshold, access rule, fee, deadline or dedicated victim-support arrangement for these services.