The UNPO and IRA recently submitted a detailed report to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in advance of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The report addresses several critical issues, including: persistence of slavery in various forms, particularly affecting the Haratin community; inherent weakness of the judicial system; and the apparent lack of robust political commitment to confront the lasting impact of slavery. Key concerns highlighted in the report encompass ongoing slavery practices, gender-based violence, the intersecting marginalization faced by Haratin women, systemic discrimination against the Haratin, and the suppression of Haratin and anti-slavery activists.
The Haratin, often referred to as ‘Black Moors’, are a historically marginalised ethnic group in Mauritania, primarily descended from West African slaves. As the country’s largest minority, they have faced centuries of discrimination, exploitation, and social exclusion under the Arab-Berber (Bidhân) elite, who historically enslaved the Haratin and continue to control political and economic power. Today, the Haratin still endure severe suppression, systemic discrimination, and de facto slavery, increasing their vulnerability, with limited access to justice and opportunity.
Slavery
Slavery is a practice entrenched in Mauritanian society with the Haratin being the most affected group. Approximately 90,000 people in Mauritania live under conditions of slavery, with Haratin women and children particularly affected. 90% of slaves are women and children. Enslaved individuals are subjected to forced labour, sexual violence, and hereditary bondage, often without legal recourse or protection.
Gender-Based Violence
Haratin women face intersecting vulnerabilities, including forced and child marriage, sexual violence, and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), all exacerbated by weak legal protections and systemic impunity. In 2023, it was reported that from 2019-2021 approximately 64% of women between the ages of 15 to 49 and 45% of girls between the ages of 0 to 14 have undergone FGM/C.
Legal and Judicial Shortcomings
Despite legislation criminalising slavery and trafficking in Mauritania, enforcement remains weak. Courts frequently undercut minimum sentencing laws, slaveholders often go unpunished, and victims receive inadequate support. slavery was only officially abolished in 1981, and criminalised in 2007. In 2012, the Mauritanian Constitution was reformed, making practices of slavery, servitude, torture and inhuman treatment a crime against humanity and punishable by the law. Nevertheless, Mauritania has yet to ratify the Rome Statute which explicitly recognises enslavement (as well as sexual slavery) as a crime against humanity.
Discrimination
Haratin communities are denied equal access to education, land, public office, civil documentation, and justice. Though comprising over half the population, Haratin representation in government is negligible. Such systemic discrimination has an impact on the national election processes, public participation and land ownership of the Haratin in Mauritanian society. The 2024 presidential election was marred by reports of fraud, censorship, and political repression.
State Repression
Activists and political opponents, especially from Haratin and Afro-Mauritanian communities, face arbitrary arrest, torture, and criminalisation under vaguely worded laws. Peaceful protests are violently repressed and freedom of association remains severely restricted, particularly where activists speak out against practices of slavery.
The UNPO and IRA made the following recommendations:
- Ensure effective enforcement of anti-slavery legislation by implementing accountability mechanisms and ending impunity for slavery-related crimes;
- Adopt comprehensive legislation to prevent and address gender-based violence, in line with international standards;
- Amend or repeal the ‘symbols law’ to align it with international norms on freedom of expression and assembly;
- Undertake structural reforms of the Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Council to guarantee their independence, impartiality, and transparency;
- Ensure fair and representative elections by reviewing electoral boundaries and prohibiting the misuse of public funds in campaigns, while strengthening campaign oversight;
- Safeguard freedom of expression and opinion within Parliament, and uphold parliamentary immunity in line with democratic principles;
- End politically motivated dismissals within the civil service and ensure the neutrality and professionalism of public administration;
- Initiate an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the 2024 electoral events, with a view to establishing accountability and preventing recurrence; and
- Release individuals detained for peacefully expressing their opinions and take measures to prevent arbitrary arrests and detentions.
