Uncovering Mauritania’s Jihadist Threat

The Threat Within and WithoutTRAC embedded regional sources have reported that Mauritania has unprecedented jihadist activity that threatens the already fragile national security structure to the brink. Mauritania is on the edge of becoming the transit point of not only for training and radicalization for transnational attacks but also for attacks within the nation's borders. Although the unchecked slavery market has always burdened the nation, between the recent prison releases, combined with al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) interest in the region and Salafist adult radicalization madrasas, the "Islamic Republic of Mauritania" is undergoing jihadist activity at an accelerated rate.The Jihadist FootprintMauritania's jihadist footprint is dominated by groups traditionally aligned with al Qaeda, such as AQIM and Mourabitounes. An Islamic State (ISIS) footprint remains speculative but there are considerable indications of…