Mauritania’s camel cavalry aims to keep jihadists at bay

Mauritania’s camel-mounted National Guard, or Meharists, are playing an increasingly visible role in the country’s strategy to prevent jihadist infiltration from neighbouring Mali, AFP reports after spending two days on patrol with the unit. Once a relic of colonial-era France, the revived “Nomad Group” now fields 150 riders and 400 camels to patrol the remote, sandy terrain of Hodh Ech Chargui, near the porous border.

The dromedary-mounted patrols, supported by drones and EU funding, serve not only a military function but also help project state presence in neglected areas. Recruited from local Bedouin tribes, the Meharists gather intelligence, mediate disputes, track livestock, and distribute aid to desert communities—building a rapport in regions vulnerable to jihadist recruitment.

Though Mauritania has not suffered a jihadist attack since 2011, the threat remains high. Other Sahel nations grappling with instability are reportedly watching the model with interest. “Whoever controls the water points controls the desert,” says Colonel Moulaye al-Bashir.