Tension Escalates on Migrant Ship in Mauritania Port Amidst Firing and Negotiations

Civil Guard agents have fired into the air to try to contain the growing tension on the Rio Tajo ship, which anchors in the port of Nouadhibou, in Mauritania, with 168 migrants on board.

According to sources from the Civil Guard, the Spanish rescue patrol boat has been with these migrants on board for two days (August 24), awaiting authorization to disembark in Mauritania or to proceed with the transfer to the Canary Islands. .

These sources add that the situation of tension has increased with the passing of the hours, which is why it has been decided to reinforce the number of agents on the Civil Guard ship, mobilizing troops assigned to the Nouadhibou detachment.

In the last few hours, moreover, the agents guarding the 168 migrants have fired into the air twice to try to quell possible attempts at riots.

AUGC, the professional association of the Civil Guard, has also collected information on the situation to denounce the “painful conditions” suffered by agents and migrants, which they attribute to the lack of cooperation from Mauritania, according to sources from this organization.

In its account on the X social network, AUGC added this Saturday afternoon that there are currently unsuccessful negotiations between the European agency Frontex and the Mauritanian authorities.