Government asked to take steps to end slavery

Amnesty International has asked the Mauritanian government to take "practical steps" to end slavery, saying that it still existed despite its legal abolition 20 years ago. In a report titled 'Mauritania: A future free from slavery', Amnesty said Mauritania's government "must stop violating its own laws and urgently end slavery, which is an abominable attack on human dignity and freedom." The report was published on the eve of the 21st anniversary of the decree which officially abolished slavery. "Mauritanian laws and international human rights obligations prohibit slavery, but anyone escaping slavery has no legal protection. There is considerable discrimination against former slaves," the organisation said. No government official was willing to take the necessary remedial action to fully eradicate slavery and put an end to impunity for the perpetrators, it added. "Not only has the government denied the existence of slavery and slavery-like practices and failed to respond to cases brought to its attention, it has hampered the activities of organizations which are working on the issue, including by refusing to grant such organizations official recognition." Anti-slavery activists and other human rights defenders work under constant threat of arrest and imprisonment, it said. 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), were sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment for running unauthorized human rights organizations campaigning against slavery. "Action against slavery and continuing human rights abuses based on slavery is long overdue. 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 organisation urged. The report contains a series of detailed recommendations for the abolition of slavery directed to the Mauritanian government and the international community. It said the government must acknowledge that slavery remains a problem in Mauritania and establish an independent and impartial enquiry to investigate practices over the past 20 years. It should also take steps towards complete eradication of slavery and related discrimination. Special emphasis must be given to awareness raising, support of NGOs and civil society working on the issue, legal change and development of means of redress, it added. The organisation urged the international community to encourage the Mauritanian government to confront the issue openly and support the work of human rights organisations working on slavery and slavery-like practices in Mauritania. Full Report