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In this desert-surrounded land of Mauritania, there is a little-known secret. In this West African country, there is an incredible reality: one in five people lives in the shadow of slavery. But in this vast land, there are few voices of resistance.
Day after day, year after year, the slaves here are like souls forgotten by time, silently enduring the misery of life. Their presence seems to have become an unshakable part of the country. In the long course of history, everything seems to have been predestined from the iron hooves of the colonizers to the shackles of the caste system.
Even in the 21st century, when the rest of the world is talking about freedom and equality, Mauritanian slaves still live in a forgotten corner. Here, slavery is not only an economic and social phenomenon, but also a being deeply rooted in culture and psyche.
In 2007, the government announced the abolition of slavery, but real change still seemed out of reach. Caste shackles, cultural constraints, and obscure government resistance all complicate and deepen the problem.
Against this backdrop, a question arises: Why, in Mauritania, has no one stood up against such a harsh reality?
History of Silence
In Mauritania, a country on the edge of the Sahara Desert in West Africa, lies an overlooked truth: one-fifth of the country's citizens live under a veritable status of slavery. The country, despite its location in the modern world, is still mired in an ancient and brutal social structure – slavery.
Mauritania covers an area of more than one million square kilometers, but has a population of only about 4.5 million. In this vast land, the existence of slavery is like a forgotten history, but it still affects millions of people.
According to 2018 statistics, about 10% of the population of Mauritania, or about 450,000 people, lived in slavery. Slavery is not a vague or obscure concept here. They are clearly labelled as the bottom of society and deprived of basic human rights and freedoms.
Their fate is often decided at the moment of birth. In Mauritania, slavery is closely linked to the caste system, which divides people into different social classes from birth.
The living conditions of the slaves were extremely harsh. Most of them live in villages or remote farmlands on the edge of the desert and do the hardest labor. They worked from dawn to dark, whether it was scorching heat or cold, they had to work endlessly. There is almost no possibility of any change in their lives, because they have almost no resources and rights to change their fate.
In Mauritania's slave society, the relationship between slaves and masters was strictly regulated. Slaves had to obey their masters unconditionally, and their lives depended almost entirely on the will of their masters. This relationship is not only economic exploitation, but also spiritual oppression.
Slaves were often deprived of education, which made it difficult for them to understand the outside world and to recognize their situation. Their lives are confined to a small world, and this world is their masters and the land they work for.
In the social structure of Mauritania, slave owners had absolute power. Not only did they own the labor force of the slaves, but they also had absolute control over the lives of the slaves. Slavery is deeply rooted in Mauritania and is closely linked to religion, culture and history.
The existence of such slavery is not only a violation of human dignity, but also a challenge to modern civilization. Despite international criticism of slavery in Mauritania, it persists for complex reasons and profoundly affects the lives of thousands of people.
The question of slavery in Mauritania was not just a legal or political one, but one that was deeply rooted in the social structure, culture and history. In this West African country, the shadow of slavery still looms over the land, and the pain and helplessness in it are still a portrayal of the fate of countless people.
2. The birth of slaves
The roots of slavery in Mauritania go back centuries, when the continent was suffering from tribal warfare and foreign powers. During this period, the vanquished and their families were often treated as spoils of war, reduced to slavery, and sold far away. This practice is even more entrenched in Mauritania, where slavery has gradually become a default social institution.
Around the 3rd century AD, Mauritania was invaded by Berbers of European origin. These invaders from the north conquered the black tribes of Fulani in Mauritania by force, enslaving these indigenous people, marking the beginning of slavery in Mauritania.
In the following centuries, Mauritania became the seat of several kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Ghana and the Mali Empire. The rule of these regimes further deepened the roots of slavery in Mauritania.
In the 7th century AD, the Hassan from Arabia invaded Mauritania, bringing with them Islam, the Arabic language, and Islamic culture. Over time, the Hassan merged with the local Berbers to form the Moors, the majority ethnic group of Mauritania today.
Although the Berbers had resisted the armed and cultural invasions of the Arabs, they were ultimately defeated and Mauritania was completely Arabized. In the early 15th century, the Portuguese, the pioneers of Western colonization, came to Mauritania and started the slave trade.
This criminal trade continued for centuries, and after the Portuguese lost power, the Spanish and Dutch colonized the area and continued to engage in the slave trade. In 1678, the French drove out the Dutch by force, but did not bring any liberation.
The French colonists signed unequal treaties with tribal chiefs, took over the slave trade, and established permanent settlements in the area. The Congress of Vienna confirmed the legitimate right of French rule in Mauritania. It was not until 1960 that Mauritania declared its independence on the wave of African liberation movements, but slavery was not abolished in time due to internal and external troubles.
The history of Mauritania can be seen as a history of blood and tears that were invaded and colonized. Serfs, war criminals, and the slave trade constituted the main forms of slavery and ran through almost the entire history of the country. As a result of a long period of aggression and colonization, Mauritania suffered from extreme poverty and backwardness, becoming the only country in the world today where slavery remains.
The brutality and far-reaching impact of this history have created deep roots in slavery in Mauritania. Centuries of colonization and warfare have not only plundered the country materially, but also left an indelible mark on its cultural and social structure, making slavery a part of the country's social system to this day.
3. Caste and fate
The caste system of Mauritanian society profoundly affects the fate of every citizen. This system divides people into different social classes from birth, with the distinction between slaves and freedmen being particularly significant, creating an almost insurmountable gap. This divide is not only reflected in economic and social status, but also in a kind of segregation that is deeply rooted in culture and tradition.
As an agricultural country, most of Mauritania's land is a tropical desert with few resources. This harshness of the natural environment, combined with the uneven distribution of resources, has led to widespread poverty. The wealthy class in the cities has vast resources in their hands, while the majority of ordinary people are struggling to survive.
Against this backdrop, many people have to sell themselves and even their family members into slavery in order to survive. The drought of the 70s of the 20th century exacerbated the situation. Prolonged droughts have led to reduced or even no crop yields, and many families are facing severe food shortages.
In such desperate circumstances, some families have had to make the difficult decision to sell their children. This practice serves two purposes: first, because they cannot feed their children, and secondly, by selling them for basic necessities, such as a bag of rations.
In Mauritania's social tradition, the status of slaves is hereditary. Once a person becomes a slave, their descendants will automatically become slaves as well. This strict social rule made it difficult for the slave class to get rid of its identity by any means, and was permanently fixed at the bottom of society.
The entrenchment of this caste system has led to a serious social problem: a large number of people are deprived of basic human rights and the possibility of development from birth. Their fate is predetermined within an insurmountable framework, living in an environment of oppression and despair.
This caste system and social environment in Mauritania reflects the country's deep social structural problems. It is not just a question of poverty and resource allocation, but also a question of basic human rights and social justice. Slavery existed and persisted not only because of economic necessity, but also because of social and cultural identity.
The entrenchment of this social structure made it difficult to eradicate slavery in Mauritania. Even in the modern world, this ancient social system still persists stubbornly in this West African country, affecting the lives and destiny of thousands of people.
In this context, the gap between slaves and freedmen is not only a difference in economic and social status, but also a deep cultural and psychological barrier.
4. The Price of Freedom
In Mauritania, the cruelty of slavery was not only reflected in the status of slaves, but also in their lives after they were freed. Even though some slaves were freed on rare occasions, their challenge did not end there.
These newly freed people face serious survival problems because they have no land, no resources, and the necessary skills and knowledge to survive and thrive in a free world. For these former slaves, it was difficult for them to find a firm foothold in the free world.
They lack education and professional skills, which makes them extremely uncompetitive in the job market. As a result of their long tenure of servitude, they often lack basic social skills and a sense of self-defense, which makes them particularly vulnerable and uncomfortable in the free world.
In addition, the freedmen in Mauritanian society who supported slavery posed a great challenge to these newly freed former slaves. These classes of freedmen have a significant advantage, both economically and socially. They often own land and resources, and hold the main voice in society.
The existence of these free men not only materially restricts the living conditions of former slaves, but also oppresses them psychologically and socially.
In such a social environment, the road of resistance of the former slaves was full of difficulties. They have to face not only material poverty, but also social marginalization and cultural exclusion. Even when they try to integrate into the free world, they are constantly hindered and discriminated against by vested interests.
This situation has further exacerbated inequality and division in Mauritanian society. Although slavery was nominally abolished, its legacy of social structures and cultural perceptions still profoundly influenced the country. For those who were former slaves, true freedom is not only a freedom from servitude, but also an opportunity to participate in social and economic life on an equal footing.
This social situation in Mauritania illustrates a deep-seated problem: legal changes alone cannot fully address deep-rooted social inequalities. In order to truly realize social fairness and justice, it is necessary to carry out in-depth reform and construction at the economic, educational, cultural and other levels.
For those newly freed former slaves, what they needed was not only freedom of identity, but also equality and opportunity in the social structure. Only when these basic conditions are met can they truly integrate into the free world and live a life of equality and dignity.
5. The dawn of change
Although the Mauritanian Government has made several attempts to abolish slavery, these efforts have been met with obstacles in practice. In 1980, the independent Government of Mauritania announced a resolution abolishing slavery, but this was largely a formality.
Until 2007, sustained pressure from the international community, particularly from the abolitionist movement, forced the Maoist government to take more practical steps to pass legislation defining slavery as an illegal act. However, despite these legal changes, the actual situation of slavery in Mauritania has not been fundamentally improved.
Over the years, very few slave owners have been sentenced for enslavement, and only a few cases have been dealt with. In the capital, Nouakchott, the government imposed stricter controls on slavery, not allowing it to exist in the open. However, in the vast other rural areas of the country, slavery remains rampant, and enforcement of the law is greatly reduced.
The persistence of slavery in Mauritania is partly due to the persistence of the caste system. In this country, the caste system is deeply entrenched, and people are given different social statuses and roles from the moment they are born. The status of a slave is not just a legal definition, but a label deeply rooted in culture and tradition.
In such a social environment, even if slavery was abolished legally, slavery was still a "normal" social phenomenon in people's minds.
In addition, there was a problem of ambiguity within the government about slavery. Although the government has made a statement on the abolition of slavery under international pressure, it lacks sufficient determination and strength in practical action. This hesitation and half-assertion allowed slavery to remain entrenched in Mauritania.
Overall, the Mauritanian government, despite its legal abolition of slavery, is still out of reach due to the entrenchment of the caste system and resistance within the government. In this country, slavery is not just a legal issue, but a profound social and cultural issue.
It is only when these deep-seated problems are resolved that slavery in Mauritania can truly come to an end in history.