ECOWAS–Mauritania Diplomacy: Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio arrived in Nouakchott for high-level talks with Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, focusing on Sahel security threats like terrorism, violent extremism, and trafficking. Migration & Human Stories: A crackdown on departures from Mauritania’s Atlantic coast is sharply reducing migrant departures, but many people in Nouadhibou say they’re stuck in limbo, facing checks and expulsions while still dreaming of Europe. Tourism & Culture Spotlight: Mauritania is being pitched as a last “authentic tourism frontier,” with the Eye of Africa (Richat Structure) and desert camp life highlighted as locals hope for more visitors and investment. AI for Development: Mauritania and the World Bank expanded the WARDIP programme to add AI infrastructure and skills training, aiming to roll out AI-powered systems across sectors. Regional Education Momentum: Senegal’s Dakar will host the first Yidan Prize Conference in Africa (June 29–July 1), with Mauritania among the education ministers expected to participate. Religion, Faith, and Migration: Pope Leo XIV’s Spain visit put migrant integration and safe routes at the center, echoing themes that resonate with Mauritania’s role in Atlantic migration routes.