Hush-hush talks between Arise and Mauritanian government over port of Nouakchott

摘要

In early September, a small delegation from Arise Mauritanie, a joint venture between the French infrastructure investment firm Meridiam and Arise Ports & Logistic, travelled by private jet to Nouakchott for discreet talks with the minister of procurement and transport, Mohamedou Ahmedou M'haïmid, and the general manager of the Port Autonome de Nouakchott, Sid'Ahmed Ould Raiss. The holder of the concession for the future container port in Nouakchott, Arise Mauritanie, has been complaining of "administrative pressure" for several months (Africa Intelligence, 16/04/20). It hopes that the negotiations with the government of Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, which began in early September, will ease tensions so that expansion works at the port can resume, having been on hold since April. The months of delay are costing the firm dear, not least because it is continuing to pay staff salaries.