Madar (Nouakchott) - Mauritania's Minister of the Interior, Decentralisation and Local Development on Thursday, 12 November 2026, chaired a meeting with the walis (regional governors) at the ministry's headquarters in Nouakchott, attended by the minister delegate in charge of decentralisation and local development, according to the Mauritanian News Agency (AMI).
The meeting reviewed the state of territorial administration, the challenges of managing public affairs at regional level and ways to strengthen decentralisation and boost local development, the agency said.
In his address, the minister said instructions from President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani require "improving the sector's performance and implementing policies that meet citizens' expectations", stressing better administrative coordination and a stronger role for administrative authorities, which must be given the means to carry out their duties.
He also reviewed the ministry's history and its contribution to building state institutions, and the role of the sector's components in strengthening national unity, bringing the administration closer to citizens, maintaining security and fighting crime.
Participants heard a presentation on decentralisation and local development by the minister delegate, and another by the director general of territorial administration on efforts to improve performance and working methods.
The meeting discussed ways to tackle cleanliness problems, remove obstacles to the implementation of development projects, improve the services provided to residents and strengthen monitoring, follow-up and evaluation, to make the administration more effective and closer to citizens.
The walis put forward observations and proposals on field and administrative challenges, and the minister said he was open to proposals that could remove obstacles and make local administration more effective, the agency said.
