After years of fighting for their rights despite crackdown and imprisonment, members of Mauritania’s leading anti-slavery NGO, the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) are preparing their participation in local elections to make their voice heard. Led by recipient of UN human rights prize in 2013, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abied, IRA is not recognized by the authorities. Therefore, the members of the organization will run for elections under the umbrella of the Swab political party. Its leader had run in 2014 as an independent candidate for the country’s presidential elections, in which he came second. Last March, IRA leader Ould Abeid was arrested and interrogated by authorities following three days of demonstrations for equal rights.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 01, 2018 02:03 UTC