In a small town in Niger, in the middle of the Sahara, the European Union is training border and anti-terror troops. They guard an invisible border that is supposed to “protect human rights” and prevent illegal migration to Europe. But the socialist mayor of the nomadic region soon realizes that his city is increasingly becoming a dead end for unwanted people from sub-Saharan Africa.
The flagship project of this European-African security cooperation fizzles out and the impoverished and disappointed population soon cheers for the military, which, with the support of Russia, drives the president out of office.
Over a period of five years, the filmmakers accompany the mayor, a young radio journalist and a former tour guide in their fight for justice. The result is a sensitive film portrait of the legendary Tuareg town of Agadez, at the intersection of different cultures and a failed pact with Europe.