TOPSHOT - Mauritanian soldiers stands in a vehicle at a G5 Sahel task force command post, on November 22, 2018, in the southeast of Mauritania near the border with Mali. - Remote villages near the border with Mali, have long been neglected by authorities, making them easier prey for jihadists and other armed groups that have proliferated in Africa's Sahel region. Now they are at the heart of a push to win over grassroots support in Mauritania with authorities ramping up both security operations and infrastructure development to stop the spread of extremism. (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON / AFP)