On patrol for jihadists with Mauritania's camel cavalry
Saturday, 10 May 2025 () Achemime, Mauritania (AFP) May 9, 2025
A posse of turban-clad soldiers perched on "ships of the desert" may conjure images of the past but Mauritania's camelback cavalry play a vital role in the fight against jihadism today. They are the Meharists, heirs to the camel-riding army units founded back in the time when imperialist France ruled the west African nation, who AFP accompanied on patrol for two days. Kalashnikovs lay sl
Mauritania's camelback cavalry plays a vital role in the African nation's fight against jihadism. Known as the Meharists, they patrol hundreds of kilometres of mainly desert territory including a vast border with Mali, which is riven by violence from jihadist groups. N°44TN662