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Producer(s):
ARTE G.E.I.E, PREMIERES LIGNES
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Territories:
Worldwide.
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Production year:
2021
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Language(s):
German, English, French
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Rights:
TV, DVD, NON-THEATRICAL, INTERNET, VOD
On the borders of Mauritania, there is a surveillance operation like no other. With a swaying and airy rhythm, twenty or so armed men patrol the sand dunes on the back of a dromedary. They are called méharistes.
In the fight against terrorism, Mauritania has revived the operations of the Nomadic Group from the Mauritanian National Guard to prevent Islamist groups from taking control of villages. Their mission is to ensure peace and security in the Sahel, a troubled region along the border with Mali, which is considered a red zone and not recommended for foreigners.
Islamist rebels are entrenched in the desert and regularly carry out guerrilla and terrorist activities in Mali and Niger. Camel patrols have a strategic advantage over the army's 4x4 armoured vehicles, which make noise and, above all, give off dust that can be seen for miles.
To help the population, the European Union has undertaken the construction of solar powered water pumps. The guards who regularly watch over these installations have to ragain the population's trust. In neighboring countries, Islamist groups have taken advantage of the state absence to infiltrate villages and settle down, financing schools and clinics.