Anti-slavery crackdown begins

2009-11-15 22:53

Nouakchott - Mauritania's government began on Sunday to educate its law enforcement and justice officials about slavery, in what it said was an effort to crack down on the practice.

Mauritania has long been considered by human rights groups as a safe haven for slavery, with people still being bought and sold and then held as property of their masters.

Mohamed al-Amin Walid Aldadah, the minister of human rights, said the workshops aimed to sensitise the authorities to the effects of slavery, so the law against the practice will be upheld.

A law banning slavery was only passed in 2007.

The government in Nouakchott recently received Gulnara Shahinian, UN special rapporteur on the modern day slavery, who met with officials as well as members of civil society waging a fight against the practice.

During her time in the country, Shahinian met with former slaves. While she noted progress by the government, the expert suggested that the authorities still had much work ahead if they planned to root out slavery.

- SAPA