President of the association "El Rachad" Abdallah Mohamed Sidiya poses for a portrait in Nouakchott on October 3, 2024. After spending three years in prison accused of raising funds for Salafists in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, Abdallah founded the association to devote himself to de-radicalisation and ensuring that young people don’t join radical groups. In Mauritania, an island of stability in a West Africa struggling to combat the spread of jihadism, religious leaders play a key role in preventing violent extremism and combating terrorism by promoting a moderate practice of Islam. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Education, the National Antenna for the Fight against Radicalization of the G5 Sahel and the Association of Women Heads of Household (AFCF), has set up a network of women religious guides called Mourchidates. After receiving training in 2022, these women volunteers travel throughout the country, to homes, markets, mosques and traditional schools to raise awareness among the most vulnerable. Their dialogue also extends to people who are already radicalized, including prisoners and their wives, to whom they provide economic and legal assistance. (Photo by MICHELE CATTANI / AFP)