Mauritania
Mauritania is "still practising" slavery

afrol News, 7 November - Although slavery was outlawed in Mauritania 21 years ago, the government is again being accused of not doing anything to implement the ban. On the contrary; the work of anti-slavery organisations is criminalized. Meanwhile, the continued and widespread existence of slavery is documented.

The human rights group Amnesty International today presented new evidence on the existence of slavery in Mauritania and stated: "No concrete steps appear to have been taken to make the abolition a reality." Today, the ban on slavery has existed for 21 years. "The Mauritanian government must stop violating its own laws and urgently end slavery, which is an abominable attack on human dignity and freedom," the group added.

The issue of slavery in 21st century Mauritania is contentious. In 1981, slavery was legally abolished following widespread public protests against the public sale of a woman. A period of optimism and relative openness towards dealing with the problem followed. Government inaction however impeded rooting out the practice in its more hidden forms.

The ban on slavery was not followed up with measured deemed necessary. There was no campaign to inform (ex-)slaves of their rights. Enslaved persons were not given legal aid to free themselves. Anyone escaping slavery has had no legal protection.

In 2001, 17-year-old M'bareck Ould Bilal Ould Braïkat escaped from alleged slavery, leaving behind three younger brothers, a young sister and his mother, all apparently enslaved by four nomadic brothers. According to him, he spent his life caring for animals. He said that he fled because of the constant verbal insults he received and the relentless work, and seemed to have been frequently beaten with a stick in the past. He had not received any formal education.

After M'bareck approached the Regional Governor for protection and release of his family, the gendarmerie only questioned him and the person who had offered him shelter about their links with SOS Esclaves, Mauritania's forbidden anti-slavery organisation.

Further, there is considerable discrimination against former slaves, which could not expect higher education or important positions. "No government official is willing to take the necessary remedial action to fully eradicate slavery and put an end to impunity for the perpetrators," Amnesty says.

There are three main ethnic communities in Mauritania: "light skinned Moors, who hold political power; black Moors or Haratins, generally considered to be descendants of slaves, and blacks who come from the south of the country," the Amnesty report says. The governing light-skinned Moors particularly were criticised in the report, which claims they maintained the system of discrimination to protect their own interests.

The governing elite was cementing this situation by banning civil rights groups and political parties defending the rights of the black population. Earlier this year, the opposition party Action for Change was banned because of alleged racism. The party had demanded equal rights for the black population.

Also, the anti-slavery group SOS Esclaves has been refused official recognition. The activists and other human rights defenders therefore "work under constant threat of arrest and imprisonment," Amnesty says.

In 1998, five human rights defenders, including Boubacar Messaoud, President of SOS Esclaves and Fatimata M'baye, Vice President of the Association Mauritanienne des droits de l'homme (AMDH, Mauritanian Association of Human Rights), were sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment for running unauthorised human rights organisations, which have campaigned against slavery.

Also Amnesty's representatives had been barred from visiting Mauritania to carry out research for the report 'Mauritania: A future free from slavery,' presented today. The report nevertheless contains a series of detailed recommendations for the real and effective abolition of slavery directed to the Mauritanian government and the international community.

- Action against slavery and continuing human rights abuses based on slavery is long overdue, Amnesty concludes. "It is time for the government to approach the problem proactively, rather than denying its importance and hoping that a focus in education, literacy and agrarian reforms will be enough to eradicate the vestiges of slavery and address its consequences," the group urged.

The human rights activists were also urging the international community to encourage the Mauritanian government to confront the issue openly. "It should also openly support the work of human rights organisations working on slavery and slavery-like practices in Mauritania."

Mauritania obtains substantial economic aid from the World Bank, IMF and the European Union, especially with the aim of reducing poverty. It has not been documented that any of these institutions ever have raised the question of slavery when negotiating with the Mauritanian government.

 

Sources: Based on Amnesty International and afrol archives 

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