Military Mauritania
Military branches:
Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne;
includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de
Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - two years;
majority of servicemen believed to be volunteers; service in Air
Force and Navy is voluntary (April 2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 606,463
females age 18-49: 607,955 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 370,513
females age 18-49: 384,269 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.32 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Mauritania
Disputes - international:
Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Mauritania is a source and destination country
for children trafficked for the purpose of forced labor, begging,
and domestic servitude; adults and children are subjected to
slavery-related practices rooted in ancestral master-slave
relationships in isolated parts of the country where a barter
economy exists
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Mauritania is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to show evidence of increased efforts to
combat trafficking, particularly in the area of law enforcement