The Treasures of Eastern Mauritania at Risk: Official Silence and Local Tampering

By: Mohamed Abdarahman Abdallah – Journalist Nouakcott

While social media platforms and local media outlets are buzzing with sensational reports of the discovery of rare treasures and historical artifacts in eastern Mauritania — particularly in the Baskou area near Néma — the relevant authorities remain strangely silent. There have been no statements, no warnings, not even basic guidance.

This regrettable absence of action from the concerned bodies — whether it be the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Mines, or the security forces — raises serious questions:
Is the state even aware of what’s happening?
Or is this silence intentional?

A National Treasure Being Looted in Broad Daylight

Photos and videos shared by citizens reveal more than just traditional gold panning.
There are archaeological artifacts, inscriptions, and possibly even relics from ancient civilizations.
This is a buried national heritage, now being treated as individual spoils, extracted without expertise, sold in black markets, and potentially smuggled abroad — all without trace or accountability.

Where Is the State? Where Is the Law?

Shouldn’t the Ministry of Culture immediately dispatch an archaeological mission to document and study these findings?
Where is the Ministry of Interior in protecting the site and preventing further destruction?
Why hasn’t the area been declared an officially protected archaeological site under national law?

More importantly, the government must announce fair compensation for local diggers who uncovered these treasures. What has been extracted so far is no longer private property — it is a part of the nation’s memory and civilizational identity.

What We Lose Through Silence

Irreplaceable historical evidence is being destroyed through random, unregulated digging.

Loss of control over a site that could potentially qualify for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

Fueling black markets, enabling cultural theft and smuggling.

Eroding public trust in state institutions, as citizens witness government inaction at a critical moment.

An Urgent Appeal

We are not asking for the impossible — just the bare minimum of responsibility:

Immediate official intervention

Scientific assessment of what has been uncovered

Legislation to protect the site

A full investigation into what has already been extracted — and where it went

Our historical wealth is not just a matter of digging, but of identity, memory, and the future.
We either preserve it with resolve — or become complicit in its disappearance.