The Mauritanian government was rebuked at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for its failure to abolish entirely slavery practices, which remain widespread in the West African country. These organizations tightened the noose on Mauritania’s human rights representative by asking questions relating to the shameful persistence of slavery and discrimination against Haratines, the under-privileged black population as well as civil society freedoms. In a report issued in February 2018, Human Rights Watch (HRW) deplored that anti-slavery groups endure police repression in Mauritania. Mauritania outlawed slavery only in 1981, criminalized the practice in 2007, and created specialized courts in 2015 to prosecute slavery cases. Authorities claim success in eradicating slavery and say that today the challenge is to address the lasting socioeconomic effects, or “legacy” of slavery.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 04, 2018 00:22 UTC