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The Mauritanian government categorically denied, on Thursday, May 29, rumors suggesting a supposed «occupation» of part of its territory by Morocco. The Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, who also serves as the government spokesperson, told the press that «Mauritania fully exercises its sovereignty over its entire territory», according to reports from Nouakchott. El Houssein Ould Meddou clarified that allegations of a possible «cession of a part of the territory to a neighboring state» are completely unfounded.
«The reality on the ground proves the opposite. The land is our land, and the sovereignty is our sovereignty», he insisted.
This clarification comes in response to statements by retired army general Lebbat Ould Maayouf, who accused Morocco of occupying portions of Mauritanian territory. His claims have gained traction in the Polisario and Algerian media.
The Polisario Front also reacted negatively to Nouakchott's decision to declare the Lebriga region a «no-go zone for civilians». On Thursday, the Mauritanian army reinforced its presence in the area, following an operation two days earlier in which Mauritanian soldiers prevented Polisario members, traveling in vehicles, from illegally entering the country.
