Mauritania didn’t make slavery a crime until 2007, making it the last country in the world to outlaw the practice. While that is bad enough, between 10 and to 20 percent of its population is estimated still to be in slavery—up to 680,000 people. It is an extremely poor country, and slave owners are often living in poverty themselves. There is a racial element to slavery, with darker-skinned people usually owned by the lighter-skinned. In the last six years, since slavery was outlawed, only one slave owner has been convicted under the new laws. Foreign journalists who attempt to report on the issue are often kicked out of the country, or followed around by a minder from the government.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:48:08 +0000
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