Protests in Mauritania as government hikes fuel prices

Protests have rocked towns and cities in Mauritania after the government decided to hike up fuel prices last Friday.

Mauritania's energy minister told state media last week that the government had decided to raise the price of petrol and gas oil because a global rise in oil prices, exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was denting the Mauritanian state budget.

Prices rose by 30 percent at one go, Arabi 21 reported.

Demonstrators took to the streets of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott on Monday amid a heavy security force presence, the pan-Arab news outlet said.

In Zouerat, the largest town in northern Mauritania, dozens of taxi drivers protested to call for prices to be dropped, local media reported on Wednesday.

The country's main political opposition group, the National Rally for Reform and Development, is organising a rally to oppose the price hikes which will take place next Sunday.

Other opposition groups have also called for Mauritanians to continue the demonstrations.

In other petrol woes for the country, the energy ministry said earlier this month that there had been issues in distributing gasoline from warehouses to pumps.