Mauritania evacuates Sahrawi gold prospectors from buffer zone as Polisario stays silent

After ordering gold prospectors to leave areas east of the Sand Wall, built by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), Mauritania has taken action. On Saturday, Mauritanian soldiers forced Sahrawi gold miners affiliated with the Polisario to evacuate the buffer zone.

The prospectors protested, saying they were «on Western Sahara territory». That argument was rejected by Mauritanian troops, the Sahrawi gold miners said in audio messages circulated on social media.

In the same recordings, the prospectors called on the Polisario leadership to defend their «right to prospect for gold on the territory of the Sahrawi Republic». So far, the movement led by Brahim Ghali has not responded to the appeal, while its media outlets have remained silent on the matter.

The development comes as a decision by Mauritanian authorities took effect on Saturday, requiring national gold prospectors to evacuate mining sites near the international border. Miners must now carry out their activities at least 10 kilometres inside Mauritanian territory, media outlets based in Nouakchott reported.

Following the attack on Smara, Mauritania decided to step up surveillance of its borders with Morocco. The armed Polisario members behind the projectiles fired on May 5 were travelling in vehicles of the kind usually used by Mauritanian gold prospectors in the course of their work.