Photo © RET International

Article by RET Global Communications & RET in Mauritania

M’BERA REFUGEE CAMP, MAURITANIA — Mbera camp sits in Mauritania’s remote Hodh Chargui region, near the border with Mali, and is now home to roughly 120,000 refugees, well beyond its original capacity. Nationwide, the refugee population in Mauritania has surpassed 300,000 people as violence in Mali continues to push new arrivals across the border. European CommissionIFRC

It was in this camp, in 2019, that two young refugees, Aly Ag Mohamed and Mohamed Ali Ag Mohamed, taught themselves guitar using an app on a mobile phone. That’s how Assouf N’dawna (“Nostalgia for the Homeland”) began. RET International, running a project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), spotted the pair’s talent early and gave them what they lacked: a place to rehearse and real instruments, while encouraging them to keep their own sound.

Photos © RET International

The group has since grown to six members and traveled well beyond camp borders, performing at Mauritania’s Oualata Festival in 2023 and Morocco’s Zamane Festival in 2024. Their songs carry messages of peace and coexistence, and the income helps cover basic needs. But growth brings new pressure: the band still shares a rehearsal space in a residential neighborhood and needs better equipment to match rising expectations. As their president put it, “the music helps us cover part of our needs.”

Assouf N’dawna’s story shows what happens when refugee talent gets real support, not just encouragement.

This activity was carried out under the Model School pilot project, funded by the World Food Programme and implemented by RET International since December 2025, in M’bera Refugee Camp, Mauritania.

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