Mauritanian media sanctioned for alleged attacks on Algeria

On Sunday, March 10th, the Mauritanian High Authority of Press and Audiovisual (HAPA) reprimanded two local media outlets, Anbaa and Taqadoum, for allegedly attacking Algeria. The online publications were made inaccessible for 60 days to internet users in Mauritania. HAPA justified the sanctions by claiming the outlets published «false information» about Algeria.

Anbaa questioned why Algeria did not offer condolences or acknowledge the death of a Mauritanian presidential guard on Algerian territory in a traffic accident. Taqadoum, another sanctioned outlet, claimed that the Mauritanian president complained about frequent phone calls from his Algerian counterpart.

Anbaa's editor-in-chief maintains that the sanctioned article analyzed an incident and did not constitute an attack on Algeria. He added that the decision deprives them of state subsidies and government advertising.

Meanwhile, the editorial line of certain Mauritanian media has strained relations with Algeria. In January 2023, the Algerian embassy in Mauritania accused some local press outlets of being influenced by a «hostile state», hinting at Morocco. The embassy's press release alleged these outlets were paid for their criticism, but lacked credibility.

These sanctions by HAPA follow Abdelmadjid Tebboune's promise, two weeks prior, to build a Mauritanian press house in Nouakchott. It's worth noting that in 2021, President Tebboune included Mauritanian news sites in his list of media critical of Algeria.