While terrorist groups from the Sahel region have been invading West African coastal countries, Mauritania has remained relatively calm. The country has not experienced a major terrorist attack since 2011, when militants affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, attacked a gendarmerie post near the Malian border and kidnapped a military policeman.
Analysts say Mauritania’s use of trained and certified Islamic female spiritual guides is a key part of the country’s peacekeeping approach. Known as “murshids,” these women are certified by the government and stationed in prisons, schools, youth centers, hospitals and mosques, where they speak to young men and women about the faith.
Trained in Islamic law, understanding the Quran, and the history of theological thought, their mission is to de-radicalize young people. Armed groups typically combine radical religious beliefs with recruitment tactics, often drawn from unemployed, marginalized, and angry youth populations.
In prisons, clerics speak to prisoners associated with armed groups in the Sahel. They challenge the theological claims used by these groups and offer alternative religious arguments rooted in mainstream Islamic studies. They calmly argue that violence against civilians is not justified in Islam. They try to build trust so that prisoners can reconsider their past choices.
“The Ministry of Islamic Affairs sent groups to different regions of the country to familiarize young people with the true teachings of Islam, such as tolerance, charity and responsibility, and to play an important role in eradicating extremism without the use of force,” Mauritanian sociologist Yahya El Hussein told Al Jazeera.
Mona bint Al-Alban, a young scholar from the Tenaguyo tribe, known for her knowledge of Islamic sciences, told the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime that extremist thinking is contrary to Islamic values and stems from a misunderstanding of the religion. She said extremists often use words of takfir to justify their actions and hatred of others. Takfir refers to Muslims accusing other Muslims of being infidels.
“However, the Quran condemns the Takfiris,” Alban said, adding that his duty is to “correct these incorrect interpretations” of the Quran and “show these young people that Islam calls for tolerance.”
Mauritania launched the program in 2021 with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It is based on a program that Morocco implemented in 2006, three years after a single-day suicide bombing in Casablanca that killed 43 people and injured more than 100. Moroccan clerics also received formal theological and social training. Moroccan researcher Yousra Biare said they have become a well-known example of women’s religious leadership guiding the fight against the spread of violent extremism.
“Beyond their role in countering extremist narratives, they address the social and emotional factors that can make young people vulnerable to radicalization,” Biare told Al Jazeera. “For countries like Mauritania, the Moroccan model shows how investing in trained female religious leaders can strengthen community trust, promote moderate religious discourse, and create cultural approaches to counter youth radicalization and build social cohesion.”
Murshidats’ peaceful efforts stand in stark contrast to other countries’ militaristic approaches to eradicating extremism.
“One of the strengths of the Mauritanian model is that it recognized from the beginning that violent extremism could not be addressed through security responses alone,” Aminata Dia, a Mauritanian founding member of the Els du Sahel network, a consortium of women leaders, told Al Jazeera. “The country invested in prevention, religious dialogue and social trust-building, particularly through the ‘Murshidiyah’ programme.”
While the “mentorship” program, along with Mauritania’s broader counterterrorism strategy, has prevented major terrorist attacks, the country still faces significant security challenges. One of the most significant threats comes from neighboring Mali, where the terrorist group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM) has seized large swaths of territory and has laid siege to Bamako. Mali’s security situation has been complicated by the presence of Russian mercenaries, now called the African Union, fighting alongside Malian forces. Each of these entities has committed crimes against civilians.
