UN says slavery still part and parcel of life in Mauritania
The scourge of modern slavery is alive and well in the desert state of Mauritania, according to the UN, despite a crackdown on the age-old practice. The global body says a 2007 law criminalising slavery in the West African nation is not being properly enforced. A special UN rapporteur says slavery is practiced through child labour, domestic labour, child marriages and human trafficking, with local human rights groups claiming 18% of Mauritania’s 3 million people still live in slavery. The historical roots of the problem are found in the ruling Arab-Berber elite owning members of the indigenous black population. Read more: Reuters
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