Mauritania is known for the terrorist attacks that rocked the country during the 2000s, which ended up canceling the Paris-Dakar rally in 2008.
Since then, few efforts have been spared by the Mauritanian government to overcome this threat, with impressive results: the last terrorist attempt took place in 2011 and it was foiled.
However, even after almost a decade without any incidents, the danger of radicalization remains very real: like other Sahelian countries, the unemployment rate among 15 to 24-year-olds is high. In 2017 it was 18.57 percent. This often marginalized and helpless youth is particularly vulnerable to calls to extremism and violence.
Poverty, unemployment and the low participation of young people in political and civic life are other reasons why radicalization can seem attractive.
The Ministry of Youth and Sport, in partnership with UNDP, has launched a National Strategy for Youth and Sport (2015-2020) which aims to promote youth participation in civic culture, citizenship and helps fight radicalization.
The strategy also aims to address the root causes of young people’s vulnerability by educating them and giving them the means to seize their own future.
UNDP is working with the Mauritanian government through a series of projects, funded in the most part by the Japanese government.
The "Consolidation of Peace, Security, and Justice" initiative tries to establish a dialogue with young people, especially the marginalized youth, through centers like the one in Nouakchott.
The center aims to create a sense of belonging, a safe space where young people can meet to talk about their problems, dreams, and aspirations, but also to train for useful skills, such as computing.
Source: https://stories.undp.org/
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