Mauritania's first suicide bombing, targeting the French embassy in Nouakchott

A quick reaction to the suicide bombing that took place today against the French embassy in Nouakchott. According to the AP, a man detonated the explosive belt he was wearing outside of the French embassy (the local media is more vague about the location, saying it was a little further down the road). Two security guards and a woman were lightly injured, while the kamikaze was killed.

Mauritania’s first experience of terrorism on its soil is recent. In 2005, the GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat), which rebranded itself Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in early 2007, attacked the Lemgheity military post. In 2007, four French tourists were killed in Aleg, in the south of the country. In early 2008, shots were fired against the Israeli embassy, and in September of that same year, 15 soldiers were taken hostage and beheaded near the town of Zouerate. Finally, in June, an American aid worker was killed in what appeared to be an attempted kidnapping. AQIM claimed responsibility or was found responsible for all of these incidents.

Today’s event represents the first occurrence of a suicide bombing in Mauritania. There had been warning signs. When the first Mauritanian blew himself up in Bouira (Algeria) during the summer of 2008 as part of an AQIM operation, this triggered a fear that his example may inspire other extremists recruited in Mauritania. Over the past year and a half, the Mauritanian police has raided several AQIM safehouses in Nouakchott and found arms and explosives, including explosive belts—suggesting that one or more people were already, at the time, willing to blow themselves up.

The suicide attack before the French embassy today represents the realization of this worrisome prospect, and follows the line of attacks targeting either the Mauritanian army or Western expatriates. This attack is also, in all likelihood, a strong message sent to the newly-elected (and already contestated) President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who has sworn to rid Mauritania of terrorism. This new incident--which has not yet been claimed by anyone--also suggests that the terrorist threat, although recent in Mauritania, may be there to stay. The dismantling of the Mauritanian branch of AQIM and the numerous arrests in early 2008 did not prevent the group from reforming.

It will be interesting, in the next few months, to observe how the recent surge in the Malian army’s effort to go after AQIM on its territory (with the help of the Tuareg community who knows well the terrain and is well versed in the art of guerilla warfare) will impact on neighboring countries. The area of the Sahara between Mauritania, Algeria and Mali has long been a lawless zone and a sanctuary for AQIM’s southern cells. If Mali is successful in chasing AQIM out of its territory (and assuming they can keep that territory clear), and if the Algerians are able to do the same on theirs, will these cells relocate to Mauritania ?