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SOFCOM leadership visits Mauritania’s Special Operations Command
Brigadier Grant, DSO MC, NATO Allied SOF Command DCOM, awarded Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Abdi of the Mauritanian Army with the Sandhurst Medal, recognizing his extraordinary achievement of completing the Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).
Allied Special Operations Forces Command Deputy Commander, Brigadier Neil Grant DSO MC, met with Brigadier General Mohammed el Moctar Menni, Chief of the Army Staff and Head of Mauritanian Special Operations Forces, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, from 5-8 February 2024 to discuss the security situation in the Sahel and opportunities to enhance NATO’s special forces cooperation with Mauritania.
“It is imperative to seize this initiative in making Mauritania’s defence and security capacity more resilient and able to respond to regional security challenges.” said Brig. Neil Grant, Deputy Commander for Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM).
Brigadier Grant, DSO MC, NATO Allied SOF Command DCOM met with Brigadier General Mohammed el Moctar Menny, Mauritanian Chief of Staff of the Army and Commander of the Special Forces and Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Abdi, Chief of Staff for the Mauritanian Special Forces.
In partnership with SOFCOM, Allied SOF are working closely with Mauritanian SOF to develop the education and training for a SOF training pathway. This world class education is pivotal for enhancing the capabilities, interoperability, and effectiveness of Allied and Partner nation’s SOF.
During the visit, Brigadier Grant presented Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Abdi, Chief of Staff of the Mauritanian SOF with the Sandhurst Medal to recognize his extraordinary achievement of completing the Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. His Excellency Colin Wells, the British Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania hosted the ceremony in the presence of the Mauritanian General Chief of Staff of the Army and Commander of the Special Forces, Mohamed Mokhtar Menni.
As a long-standing NATO partner, Mauritanian Special Forces’ relationship with SOFCOM started in 2021. Allied activities aim to create a unity of effort supporting the Defence Capacity Building Package for Mauritania building on bilateral support to Mauritania and providing additional assistance. Some of the focus areas include: the training and equipping of Mauritanian SOF units; Professional Development for NCOs and Officers through the NATO Special Operations University Professional Development (STEP) courses; the integration of women into Mauritanian SOF; and participation in various training and exercise opportunities which focus on countering violent extremist organizations, collaborating across borders.