Where: Mauritania
Who: anti-slavery activists
What’s happening: Draft legislation that threatens NGO freedom risks undermining the country’s new anti-slavery law, and the ability of NGOs to work with victims.
The anti-slavery law – passed last week – made slavery a crime against humanity and doubled the prison term for convictions to 20 years. But anti-slavery activists are concerned that a new draft law, which would restrict the freedom of NGOs, could threaten their work to support victims and secure prosecutions.
“It is ironic that there are no slave owners in prison, but three anti-slavery activists have been convicted for leading a peaceful campaign while the freedom of NGOs may be quashed,” Sarah Mathewson, Anti-Slavery International’s Africa programme co-ordinator told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Slavery and Mauritania: Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery in 1981. Although it was criminalised in 2007, the country has the highest prevalence of slavery (pdf), with some 150,000 people living as slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index.
Operating in Mauritania: The UK Foreign Office (FCO) advises against all travel to the provinces of Tiris Zemmour (except the town of Zouérat), Adrar, Tagant and Hodh el Chargui, as well as any areas within 50km of the Malian border and 25km of the border with Western Sahara. The FCO also advises against all but essential travel to the rest of the country, including the Nouakchott-Nouadhibou corridor, and to avoid all demonstrations. In January, three activists who organised a march against slavery were jailed for two years for disturbing public order and belonging to an unrecognised organisation.
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