BBC NEWS | Africa | Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law

<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <title>BBC NEWS | Africa | Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law</title> <meta name="contentFlavor" content="STORY" /> <meta name="keywords" content="BBC, News, BBC News, news online, world, uk, international, foreign, british, online, service" /> <meta name="OriginalPublicationDate" content="2007/08/09 04:19:48" /> <meta name="UKFS_URL" content="/1/hi/world/africa/6938032.stm" /> <meta name="IFS_URL" content="/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm" /> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> <link href="http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_world_edition/africa/rss.xml" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="BBC NEWS | Africa" /> <link href="/2/low/africa/6938032.stm" rel="alternate" type="text/html" title="Low Graphics" /> <meta name="Headline" content="Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law" /> <meta name="Section" content="Africa" /> <meta 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border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <div class="mvb"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/dot_629.gif" width="629" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></div> <div class="mvtb"><table cellspacing="0" width="416" border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr> <td width="213"><a class="epl" onClick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=370,height=445','Mailer')" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm" target="Mailer"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> E-mail this to a friend </a></td> <td width="203"><a class="epl" onClick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,menubar=yes,width=600,height=445','Printer')" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm" target="Printer"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> Printable version </a></td> </tr></table></div> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="629" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <div class="mxb"> <div class="sh"> Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law </div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="416"> <font size="2">   <table border="0" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="203" cellpadding="0"> <tr><td> <div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40624000/jpg/_40624727_slave203.jpg" width="203" height="230" alt="Skyra" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <div class="cap">Many Mauritanians are born into slavery </div> </div> </td></tr> </table>   <B>Mauritania's parliament has unanimously passed legislation making the practice of slavery punishable by up to 10 years in prison.</B> <P> The new law also stipulates that anyone found guilty of promoting or being an apologist for slavery could face two years in jail. <P> A Mauritanian anti-slavery group, SOS Slavery, welcomed the law as a victory for the people of Mauritania. <P> Slavery persists in parts of Mauritania even though it was banned in 1981.  <P> A presidential decree abolished the practice, which has existed for centuries in Mauritania, but no criminal laws were passed to enforce the ban. <P> Human rights groups say despite official denials the practice continues and is widespread. <P> <B>'Important change'</B> <P> Boubacar Ould Messaoud, leader of SOS Slavery, said the law was very important for the country. <P>  <table cellspacing="0" align="right" width="208" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="5"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="5" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td class="sibtbg"> <div> <div class="mva"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif" width="24" height="13" alt="" border="0"> <b>We did all the hard work for our master and all we received in return was beatings</b> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif" align="right" width="23" height="13" alt="" border="0" vspace="0"><br clear="all"/> </div> </div> <div class="mva"> <div>Mohamed<br />escaped Mauritanian slave</div> </div> <div class="o"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/inline_dashed_line.gif" width="203" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="2" hspace="0"><br /> </div> <div class="miiib">  <div class="arr"> <a class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4091579.stm"><b>Mauritania's best kept secret</b> </a> </div>  </div> </td> </tr> </table>  <P> "We have been demanding this law for a very long time and we are very happy that the National Assembly has passed this law. <P> "We now have legislation which not only defends slaves, but punishes the practice of slavery. It is an important change." <P> SOS Slavery says there could be up to 600,000 slaves - many of them used as bonded labour - in Mauritania. <P> That would add up to 20% of the population although the BBC's Ed Horton says those figures are difficult to verify. <P> Before the new law was passed, the Anti-Slavery International group welcomed the Mauritanian government's initiative but said the proposed law was too weak. <P> The group urged the government to include contemporary aspects of slavery - such as forced marriage, indentured labour or debt bondage. <P> And the organisation said the maximum jail term should be 30 years and new laws should allow for reparation payments to the victims. </font> <br /><br clear="all" /> <div class="mvtb"><table cellspacing="0" width="416" border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr> <td width="213"><a class="epl" onClick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=370,height=445','Mailer')" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm" target="Mailer"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> E-mail this to a friend </a></td> <td width="203"><a class="epl" onClick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,menubar=yes,width=600,height=445','Printer')" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6938032.stm" target="Printer"> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> Printable version </a></td> </tr></table></div> <div class="mvtb"> </div><br /> </td> <td width="10" valign="top"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td width="203" valign="top"> <div class="puffbox"> <div class="o"> <div class="nlp"> <a class="lp" href="/2/hi/in_depth/world/slavery/default.stm">MODERN SLAVERY</a> </div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"><br /> <div class="nlp"> FEATURES </div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"><br /> <a href="/2/hi/africa/6455365.stm"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42698000/jpg/_42698513_arekpuff.jpg" align="left" width="66" height="66" alt="Akech Arol Deng believes his wife and son are being used as slaves" border="0" vspace="3" hspace="0"></a> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" align="left" width="5" height="66" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <a href="/2/hi/africa/6455365.stm"> <b> Sudan's forgotten </b> </a> <br /> <a href="/2/hi/africa/6455365.stm"> Some 8,000 people kidnapped from the south still live in slavery <br clear="all" /> </a> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"><br /> <div class="arr"> <a href="/2/hi/uk_news/england/6459369.stm"> Sex slavery widespread in UK </a> <br /> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="/2/hi/south_asia/6505961.stm"> Bonded to the sari loom </a> <br /> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/6507495.stm"> Boss reveals trafficking secrets </a> <br /> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="/2/hi/south_asia/6405373.stm"> Plight of Nepal 'slave girls' </a> <br /> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="/2/hi/americas/6451267.stm"> Haiti's hidden 'child slaves' </a> <br /> </div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/cccccc.gif" width="203" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="3" hspace="0"><br /> <div class="nlp"> BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS </div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"><br /> <a href="/2/hi/programmes/this_world/6458377.stm"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42690000/jpg/_42690557_rageh6666.jpg" align="left" width="66" height="66" alt="Rageh Omaar" border="0" vspace="3" hspace="0"></a> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" align="left" width="5" height="66" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <span class="nlp">FROM </span><a class="lp" href="/2/hi/programmes/this_world/default.stm">THIS WORLD >></a><span class="nlp"></span><br /> <a href="/2/hi/programmes/this_world/6458377.stm"> <b> Harrowing journey </b> </a> <br /> <a href="/2/hi/programmes/this_world/6458377.stm"> Rageh Omaar's search for the realities of modern child slavery <br clear="all" /> </a> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"><br /> <div class="arr"> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/world/05/slavery/html/1.stm"> In graphics: The scale of slavery </a> <br /> </div>   <div class="acrol"> <a class="o" href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/rep-i-b.pdf">ILO child labour report (1.1MB)</a> </div>   <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/999966.gif" width="203" height="2" alt="" border="0" vspace="3" hspace="0"><br /> </div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="10" alt=""><br /></div> <div class="nlp"> RELATED INTERNET LINKS </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="http://www.antislavery.org/"> Anti-Slavery International </a> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="http://www.amnesty.org.uk/"> Amnesty </a> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="http://www.iabolish.com/sos/"> SOS Slaves </a> </div> <div class="arr"> <a href="http://www.mauritania.mr/fr/index.php"> Mauritanian government (in French) 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BBC NEWS | Africa | Mauritanian MPs pass slavery law