The Mauritanian National Guard has taken delivery of a final batch of 200 camels that was handed over to its Nomadic Group at Achemim on the border with Mali by France’s Management Institute for International Security (THEMIIS).
The Nomadic Group now has some 370 camels, allowing it to significantly extend its coverage of the Mauritanian hinterland once personnel recruitment and training are completed. (THEMIIS)
Peer de Jong, THEMIIS’s senior vice president for development, told Jane’s that the company was contracted by the European Union following an international tender to purchase and deliver the camels as well as equipment such as saddles for the National Guard under the Ghawdat (Mehari in Arabic) programme of the EU’s Mauritania Security and Development Support Project (PADSM).
The PADSM aims to strengthen the Mauritanian state’s presence in remote areas of the country and improve the living conditions of locals by providing access to water, healthcare, and education. The PADSM is also intended to help strengthen the Mauritanian military and security forces’ anti-terrorist capabilities.
Increasing the capabilities of the National Guard in general and the Nomadic Group in particular is one of the key aspects of the PADSM and the main focus of the Ghawdat programme.
De Jong said its aim is to provide the Nomadic Group with the means to operate effectively throughout the Mauritanian hinterland, support development projects, and provide a visible government presence, while conducting patrols to deter terrorist incursions as well as illicit activities.
THEMIIS purchased 270 camels from local breeders throughout Mauritania, with the first batch of 70 being delivered in December 2019. These animals join an estimated 100 that the Nomadic Group already possessed.
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