Mauritania deepens media reform ties with global press watchdog

In a gesture of transparency and international cooperation,Mauritania’s Minister of Culture & Communication,El Housseine Ould Medou,welcomed on May 26 a high-level delegation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Nouakchott. The visiting mission,led by RSF’s Director General Thibaut Bruttin,forms part of the organization’s regional tour to assess and support press freedom across West Africa.

During the meeting,Minister Medou underscored the strategic initiatives launched to reshape and professionalize the country’s media landscape.

At the core of the discussion was the Government’s establishment of a high Commission to lead sweeping reforms in the press sector—a move that has ushered in a series of legal and institutional changes aimed at reinforcing journalistic integrity and democratic transparency.

Minister Medou highlighted Mauritania’s recent accession to the global Initiative for Information and Democracy,marking a significant milestone in aligning national media practices with international standards. These reforms signal a new era of media governance,anchored in accountability,freedom,and the rule of law.

RSF Director General lauded Mauritania’s reform agenda and reaffirmed the organization’s longstanding commitment to defending press freedom and safeguarding journalists worldwide. Bruttin emphasised that RSF’s collaborative approach seeks not only to protect individual media practitioners but also to build resilient institutions that can withstand political and societal pressures. This encounter in Nouakchott,therefore,not only cements bilateral goodwill but also represents a shared aspiration to nurture an informed and liberated public sphere.