clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

UN and Mauritania discuss slavery

April 26, 2017 at 12:46 pm

UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Urmila Bhoola [Jean-Marc Ferré/Flickr]

A UN mission yesterday discussed slavery and means to fight it with the Mauritanian government in Nouakchott, the Anadolu Agency reported.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Urmila Bhoola, met with the Mauritanian Human Rights and Women Issues Commissioner, Sheikh Altrad Ould Abdel-Malik.

According to the official Mauritanian news agency, UN reports about this issue published in May 2016 caused tension between the two sides.

The reports accused the Mauritanian government of “systematic hiding and exclusion” of certain social castes in the country, arguing this contributes to the continuation of slavery. The Mauritanian government denied these reports, saying they lack factual and detailed information.

Slavery was dominant in Mauritania during the 1960s; however it was ended in 1982. However, human rights activists say slavery still existed in the country.

Mauritania has plans to fight slavery, including the implementation of social programmes and approving a package of laws which designate slavery as a crime against humanity.