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China Donates $1.5 Million to Boost Mauritania's Defense

   VOA News 20 April 2010

   China  is  giving  Mauritania  a  $1.5  million  donation to boost its
   defense capability.
   News  reports from the region say Mauritania's Defense Minister Hamadi
   Ould  Hamadi  and  the  Chinese  ambassador  to Nouakchott, Zhang Xun,
   signed  a  memorandum for the donation Monday. They say the grant will
   be  used  to  purchase  equipment  for  military  engineering, such as
   bulldozers and other machines.
   Hamadi  said  the  funding  comes  at a time when Mauritania is making
   efforts to strengthen its defense, as it faces growing challenges.
   The  northwest  African country is wrought by ethnic tensions and also
   faces  a  growing  terrorism  threat by a group called al-Qaida in the
   Islamic Maghreb.
   China  and  Mauritania  have  signed  a series of agreements in recent
   years. In March, a Chinese fishing firm announced plans to invest $100
   million in Mauritania's key fishing industry.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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