On July 1, 2026, members and supporters of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) were attacked by police officers at the Nouakchott-West Court, leaving many of them injured.
They had gathered in front of the court to attend the appeal hearing of two Members of Parliament who are also IRA members, Mariem Cheikh and Gamo Achour. The two MPs were arrested on April 9 and 10, 2026, respectively, over social media videos criticising President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
According to a statement published by the IRA, their members who were denied access to the courtroom had gathered outside the court premises. Around 1:00 p.m., while IRA President Biram Dah Abeid was addressing the crowd, police officers surrounded them and blocked all access roads leading out of the premises.
The police fired tear gas and according to the IRA, hit some of the people with truncheons. The IRA reported eleven people, including Biram Dah Abeid, his wife, Leïla Ahmed Khalifa, and other members sustained injuries, including fractures, wounds and loss of consciousness. They were rushed to a medical facility for emergency treatment.
This incident is not an isolated case. Mauritania has witnessed several instances of peaceful gatherings being violently dispersed by security forces. In 2026 alone, at least three protests have been forcibly dispersed.
On February 6, 2026, Mauritanian security forces violently dispersed a peaceful protest organised by the IRA in Nouakchott. The protest, held near the Dar Naïm juvenile police station, was to demand action in a reported case of child exploitation. Around ten protesters were arrested, including some who had been hospitalised for injuries sustained and were taken into custody upon their discharge.
Two months later, on April 5, 2026, police in Nouakchott dispersed a protest against rising transport fares using tear gas. Around 60 protesters, including political actors and activists, were arrested.
On April 16, 2026, another protest organised to call for lower fuel and gas prices, reduced food costs, and the lifting of restrictions on individual and collective freedoms was dispersed by security forces, leaving several people injured and around 40 activists arrested. Media coverage of the protest was also restricted, with some local media outlets having their equipment confiscated.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned about the repeated dispersal of peaceful gatherings and demonstrations and the reported use of force by the police against protesters in Mauritania. It is particularly concerning that this violation occurred at court premises, a place where the rule of law is upheld and citizens are protected, while the victims were only attending a judicial proceeding.
The repeated dispersal of peaceful gatherings and demonstrations restricts the right to peaceful assembly of people protected by Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The MFWA calls on the Mauritanian authorities to investigate the reported use of excessive force against peaceful protesters on July 1, 2026, hold any security agent found responsible to account, and ensure that victims receive adequate and proportionate reparations for the harm suffered.
