President of Mauritania, Col. Ely Ould Muhammad Vall, has presented a plan to abolish “all types of slavery” in the country, the London-based daily <I>A-Sharq Al-Awsat</I> is reporting.
"I am the first to back anti-slavery movements, and I encourage all three million citizens of Mauritania to do the same," said Vall during a conference in the city of Akjoujt, 155 miles north of the capital Nouakchott.
Mauritania outlawed slavery in 1981, and so far the official stand of the government was that the practice no longer existed in the country. Nevertheless, it was estimated by Amnesty that some 90,000 citizens of the Mauritania are still ‘owned’ by masters.
Slavery in the African-Muslim country follows ethnic affiliations and has existed for centuries. To a small extent, slaves are drawn from the Arab population, but more so from the black-African citizens of the country.
Earlier this month, SOS Slaves, a Mauritanian non-governmental organization, announced that "traditional slavery remains a significant reality in Mauritania, despite the abolition of 1981." The group said the justice system in the country, even after the military coup of August 2005, paid no attention to the problem.