Below is the press release on the matter published by Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania (IRA):

Despite its whole Directorate being behind bars, the IRA-Mauritania activists remain as watchful and concentrated on their main objective: the denunciation of slavery and of the injustice they face.

The Rkiz (District located 200 km south-west of Rosso, the regional capital of Trarza) section has discovered a case of slavery on Friday 3 July 2015 in Lgana, a camp situated 6 km away from Rkiz. The victim, Tislim mint Moulid, is about sixty years old, mute and physically disabled. Her master, Abdallahi ould Tghana, is a rich and prominent citizen from the Rhahle tribe, and holds a big herd of which the victim, Tislim mint Moulid, was in charge.

The people responsible for the Rkiz section have filed a complaint to the Rkiz police brigade. The commander of this brigade went to the camp and arrested the master, Abdallahi ould Tghana, as the procedure stipulates. But what remains incomprehensible is the arrest of the victim, Tislim mint Moulid, despite the protests of activists who wished to take care of her. The police has opened an inquiry and promised to lead the detainee before the prosecutor at the beginning of the following week.

Several prominent citizens and inhabitants from Rkiz have already testified against the servile relationship uniting Abdallahi ould Tghana and Tislim mint Moulid.

IRA-Mauritania is committed to pacific struggle methods but firmly:

-       Calls on all of its activists to mobilise to support Tislim Moulid and tear her away from the slave-owners,

-       Warns the authorities against any kind of manipulation of this case, which could lead to unwanted slip-ups.

Nouakchott, 6 July 2015    

The Communication Commission