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. Key to their mission is a “bond of trust” they’ve built with the desert communities "by taking care of livestock, tracking down cattle thieves, finding lost animals,” says unit commander Colonel Moulaye al-Bashir. The strategy seems to be paying off— the country has not had a jihadist attack since 2011. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES N°44TN662