02/20/2024
Moors love them slaves! Slavery is deeply ingrained in Mauritania’s societal structure and intricately linked to its ethnic composition, despite advancements in other African nations and a colonial ban dating back to 1905.
Although the French colonial administration proclaimed the end of slavery in Mauritania in 1905, it wasn’t until 1981 that the country officially abolished slavery through a presidential decree. Unfortunately, there were no legal measures in place to enforce this ban until 2007, when, under international pressure, the government passed laws allowing for the prosecution of slaveholders.
Despite these efforts, the 2018 Global Slavery Index revealed that around 90,000 individuals, accounting for 2.1% of the population, were still enslaved in Mauritania. This marked a decrease from the 155,600 reported in the 2014 index, where Mauritania ranked 31st out of 167 countries in terms of total number of slaves and first in prevalence, with 4% of the population enslaved. The Mauritanian government’s response to all forms of modern slavery currently ranks 121st out of 167 countries. Additionally, a 2017 BBC report highlighted a total of 600,000 people living in slavery within Mauritania.