Authorities are searching for a group of "terrorists" who escaped prison. Mauritania has largely been unscathed by the Islamist terrorism that has affected its neighbors in the Sahel region.

Authorities in Mauritania have resurrected a 100-year-old nomadic police force to help protect local communities.

Mauritanian ex-leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was detained after failing to report to a judge. He faces corruption allegations from his time as president.

Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania's joint entry of couscous has earned a place on the UN agency's list of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage. It has been hailed as an "example of international cooperation."

In the fight against terrorist groups in Africa, US forces provide crucial support to the G5 Sahel group (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) with intelligence, logistics and supplies. But as the terror threat continues to spread in the region, Africa is no longer a priority for the Pentagon, which could well withdraw its troops, as announced by US President Donald Trump.

Ahead of the African Union summit in Nouakchott this Sunday, FRANCE 24 sat down with Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to discuss a number of issues, including his vision of the joint African anti-terror task force, G5 Sahel.