Mauritania's Visa Refusals: A shameful betrayal of African unity for EU bribes

Mauritania has refused my visa for the second time in three months.

This denial isn’t just a personal setback; it’s a dagger to the soul of our collective African aspiration for seamless connection, free movement, and shared prosperity.

How ironic that a nation born from the sands of freedom now erects invisible walls, echoing the very divisions we seek to dismantle.

This bureaucracy isn’t benign — it’s a suffocating vine strangling the free flow of ideas, people, and progress across our continent.

Let us call it what it is: a pernicious extension of colonial control, masquerading as border security.

Mauritania, like too many African states, has become ensnared in the European Union’s web of influence.

The EU funnels funds to Nouakchott under the guise of migration control, tasking it with stemming the tide of West Africans seeking greener pastures northward.

These “aid” packages are nothing short of bribes to police Europe’s southern flank, turning sovereign African soil into a buffer zone for Fortress Europe.

It’s a shameful bargain, where Mauritanian officials trade autonomy for euros, all while perpetuating the myth that migration is a crisis to be barricaded rather than a symptom to be cured.

This isn’t sovereignty; it’s subservience.

By bowing to Brussels’ whims, Mauritania not only hinders legitimate travelers like our campaign team but also betrays the African Union’s vision of a borderless continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

We must demand that countries like Mauritania open up — tear down these visa barriers that serve foreign agendas over African interests.

True independence means rejecting such neo-colonial strings, fostering intra-African mobility that boosts tourism, trade, and cultural exchange.

And let’s address the elephant in the Sahara: migration itself.

If Africa were truly united — if some of our leaders ceased plundering public coffers and instead channeled resources into building thriving economies, robust infrastructure, and equitable opportunities — no sane African would risk the perilous journey to Europe.

Imagine a continent where intra-African trade flourishes, where youth find jobs in booming industries rather than in distant lands, where corruption is a relic of the past.

In such an Africa, the allure of Europe fades, replaced by the pride of homegrown prosperity.

The solution, then, lies not in fortifying migrant routes like Mauritania’s borders but in uprooting the causes of desperation.

Politicians must stop stealing; governments must invest in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and innovation.

We need an Africa where borders are bridges, not barriers — where a Ghanaian like me can drive from Mbabane to Accra without begging for stamps from reluctant officials.

Undeterred by this setback, our team adapts and advances.

We’ll pivot: after vital visits to Morocco and Algeria to strengthen ties and gather momentum, we’ll fly directly to Senegal, bypassing the bureaucratic quagmire.

From there, we’ll continue our overland push, amplifying our message of unity with every mile.

This detour isn’t defeat; it’s defiance — a reminder that the spirit of Kwame Nkrumah and Marcus Garvey lives on, resilient against any obstacle.

Fellow Africans, the time for complacency is over. Let this visa denial be a rallying cry.

Urge your leaders to reject EU puppetry, embrace open borders, and build the Africa we deserve.

Together, we’ll turn bureaucracy’s chains into the fuel for our freedom.

The Trans-Africa journey continues — join us, for the road to unity is paved by our collective will.