Madar (Nouakchott) - Securing the Tindouf-Zouerate road works is now formally on the security coordination agenda between Mauritania and Algeria, after the bilateral security meeting in Zouerate on Thursday, October 22, discussed the security of the companies building the road and their Algerian staff, alongside the fight against drug trafficking, irregular migration and illegal mining on the shared border.
An 840 km project
Presidents Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and Abdelmadjid Tebboune launched the project in Tindouf on February 22, 2024, alongside the inauguration of two border crossings and the launch of a free trade zone. The roughly 840-kilometre road is financed by Algeria, which will operate it under a renewable 10-year concession, according to announcements at the time.
Where the works stand
According to Algerian state daily Ech-Chaab on April 24, 2026, the first 320-kilometre section between Tindouf and Ain Ben Tili was 45.91% complete, split into four lots handled by four Algerian public companies, with a 30-month delivery commitment. The paper reported living bases along the route, wells and quarries, and approval by Algeria's Council of Ministers for fuel stations on the road.
The governor of Tindouf inspected the works in April up to kilometre 110 inside Mauritanian territory, according to Mauritanian and Algerian media citing a statement from the province, without giving an overall progress rate.
A security and economic stake
The road crosses vast desert areas of Tiris Zemmour, where smuggling, informal gold mining and irregular migration intersect - the same issues that dominate the regular meetings between Mauritania's Second Military Region and Algeria's Southern Operational Sector of Tindouf.
Authorities in both countries have not published an updated official progress figure since April, while the latest meeting stressed the need to "create a suitable environment to speed up the works".
