On Wednesday, Mauritanian Minister of Justice Abdeen Ould El Kheer met with a security official for the coast and desert,  Gen Lapierre Michelle Johanna, to discuss "anti-terrorism" operations in the desert country. Johanna is the coordinator of the anti-militancy programme, called "Jwahab", on the coast. El Kheer discussed with the general how to fight militants and organised crime in the region, saying that it faced serious security challenges, especially after armed Islamist movements took control of Azawad (the northern part of Mali adjacent to the Mauritanian border in the east). The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice and the Director of cooperation in the same ministry both attended the meeting.