The diplomatic activity between Senegal and Mauritania is intensifying. After Ousmane Sonko's notable visit to Nouakchott in January 2025, it is now the turn of his Mauritanian counterpart, Moctar Ould Djay, to set foot on Dakar soil for a visit this Thursday 8 and Friday 9 January 2026.

Appointed in August 2024, the Mauritanian head of government is thus making his first official visit to Senegal. A gesture that testifies to the "exceptional vitality" of the ties uniting the two neighbors.

Scheduled for November 16-18, 2025, this visit by the Mauritanian Prime Minister was postponed to a later date due to tensions at the highest levels of the Senegalese government between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. Both sides felt that the political context did not guarantee optimal conditions for the planned discussions and the successful implementation of the bilateral cooperation program.

At the heart of the discussions are two colossal projects that are redefining bilateral trade between the two countries.

The first: the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, which entered a historic phase in April 2025. The first exports of liquefied natural gas have begun, propelling the two nations into the club of global producers.

The second project, equally symbolic, concerns the Rosso bridge. A true physical link between the two banks of the Senegal River, this infrastructure is intended to become the lifeblood of land-based trade, facilitating the mobility of citizens and goods.

This warming of relations between Dakar and Nouakchott is no accident. It is the result of a strong political will at the highest levels of both states. Upon his election in April 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye chose Mauritania as his first international destination.

This also allowed for the reactivation of the Joint High Commission, which had remained dormant for nine years. The 2024 sessions resulted in the signing of eight major sectoral agreements: strengthening joint patrols against Sahelian threats (security and defense), facilitating the stay of nationals on both sides of the border (mobility), and protocols ranging from transhumance to trade, including digital transformation (economy).

Beyond the figures and infrastructure, this visit underscores a convergence of views on the management of shared resources. The Gourbassi dam, intended for irrigation and energy production, illustrates this ambition for shared prosperity expressed by both countries.