On the borders of Mauritania, it is a surveillance operation like no other. With a swaying, aerial step, around twenty armed men patrol the middle of the sand dunes on the backs of camels. We call them Méharistes.

In its fight against terrorism, Mauritania is relaunching these long patrols which are unrivaled in an arid environment. Disbanded from the French army in 1962, these Saharan units resisted the colonial era.

From now on, the enemy has changed its nature. The mission of the Mauritanian Méharistes remains the same, to ensure peace and security in the Sahel, a tormented region along the border with Mali, thousands of kilometers of hostile and uninhabited land. The region is classified as a red zone, strictly not recommended for foreigners.

In Achemine, a small village just 60 kilometers from the border with Mali, a camp will soon host the future training school for camels – the European Union is financing this vast security and development program – 300 camels have been purchased in the region .

Certain areas are controlled by armed gangs or by Islamist groups who ignore borders. Islamist rebels are established in the desert and regularly carry out guerrilla and terrorism actions in Mali and Niger. Patrols on camel backs have a strategic advantage over the army's 4x4s, which make noise and above all emit dust that can be seen for kilometers.

Mauritania has relaunched the operations of the Nomade Group to prevent the takeover of villages by Islamist groups. To help the populations, the European Union has undertaken the construction of solar energy wells; guards regularly monitor these installations, as in the village of Bir Nsra.

In the village of Nyaye, the Méhariste nurse sets up a field office. Little by little, noise spreads and patients flock to the infirmary tent. It treats illnesses and warns of the risks of the covid pandemic.

The guards' mission is to regain the trust of the population. In neighboring countries, Islamist groups have taken advantage of the absence of the state to infiltrate villages, financing schools and dispensaries. Radical groups could settle down near wells and villages and gradually build links with local populations.

Documentary directed by Kevin Sempé