They are known as the mule women of Melilla. Every day they carry heavy
loads across the border between the Spanish enclave and Morocco. Melilla
is an important entry point for goods in to North Africa - and if the
women can carry them, they can be imported in to Morocco duty-free.
In the early morning sunlight, a cloud of dust hovers close to the
6m-high fence that separates Melilla from Morocco. The dust is kicked up
by frenetic activity as traders prepare goods to cross the border.
There are second-hand clothes, bolts of fabric, toiletries and household
items, all of it destined for markets in Morocco and beyond. Thousands
of people are here and the noise is deafening - a cacophony of revving
engines and raised voices.
