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Mauritania fared poorly in the TIPs report (that’s the Trafficking in Persons Report) of 2015. This report issued each year by the U.S. Department of State has again classified Mauritania as a Tier 3 country. The “Tier 3” category is reserved for those countries who are not making any substantial progress toward complying with the anti-trafficking policies as described in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA).
IRA-USA collaborated with Anti-Slavery International (based in London) to submit documentation to the U.S. Department of State regarding the conditions in Mauritania. These documents are integrated into the 2015 TIPs report. Our report emphasized the arrests in November 2014 of anti-slavery activists belonging to IRA – Mauritanie combined with the lack of any successful prosecution of slave owners. We also provided details of many cases of slavery for which the prosecution failed.
This year’s TIPs lists 23 countries as Tier 3. Other African Tier 3 countries include Burundi, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Eritrea.
The TVPA criteria for fighting trafficking are as follows :
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Div. A of Pub. L. No. 106-386, § 108, as amended.
(A) Minimum standards For purposes of this chapter, the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking applicable to the government of a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims of severe forms of trafficking are the following:
(1) The government of the country should prohibit severe forms of trafficking in persons and punish acts of such trafficking.
(2) For the knowing commission of any act of sex trafficking involving force, fraud, coercion, or in which the victim of sex trafficking is a child incapable of giving meaningful consent, or of trafficking which includes rape or kidnapping or which causes a death, the government of the country should prescribe punishment commensurate with that for grave crimes, such as forcible sexual assault.
(3) For the knowing commission of any act of a severe form of trafficking in persons, the government of the country should prescribe punishment that is sufficiently stringent to deter and that adequately reflects the heinous nature of the offense.
(4) The government of the country should make serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(B) Criteria
In determinations under subsection (a)(4) of this section, the following factors should be considered as indicia of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons:
(1) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates and prosecutes acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons, and convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts, that take place wholly or partly within the territory of the country, including, as appropriate, requiring incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts. For purposes of the preceding sentence, suspended or significantly reduced sentences for convictions of principal actors in cases of severe forms of trafficking in persons shall be considered, on a case-by-case basis, whether to be considered as an indicator of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons. After reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government which does not provide such data, consistent with the capacity of such government to obtain such data, shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted or sentenced such acts. During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1, 2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September 30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts and the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith effort to collect such data.
(2) Whether the government of the country protects victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and encourages their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of such trafficking, including provisions for legal alternatives to their removal to countries in which they would face retribution or hardship, and ensures that victims are not inappropriately incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being trafficked, including by providing training to law enforcement and immigration officials regarding the identification and treatment of trafficking victims using approaches that focus on the needs of the victims.
(3) Whether the government of the country has adopted measures to prevent severe forms of trafficking in persons, such as measures to inform and educate the public, including potential victims, about the causes and consequences of severe forms of trafficking in persons, measures to establish the identity of local populations, including birth registration, citizenship, and nationality, measures to ensure that its nationals who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission do not engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and measures to prevent the use of forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards.
(4) Whether the government of the country cooperates with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of severe forms of trafficking in persons.
(5) Whether the government of the country extradites persons charged with acts of severe forms of trafficking in persons on substantially the same terms and to substantially the same extent as persons charged with other serious crimes (or, to the extent such extradition would be inconsistent with the laws of such country or with international agreements to which the country is a party, whether the government is taking all appropriate measures to modify or replace such laws and treaties so as to permit such extradition).
(6) Whether the government of the country monitors immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of severe forms of trafficking in persons and whether law enforcement agencies of the country respond to any such evidence in a manner that is consistent with the vigorous investigation and prosecution of acts of such trafficking, as well as with the protection of human rights of victims and the internationally recognized human right to leave any country, including one’s own, and to return to one’s own country.
(7) Whether the government of the country vigorously investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences public officials who participate in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons, including nationals of the country who are deployed abroad as part of a peacekeeping or other similar mission who engage in or facilitate severe forms of trafficking in persons or exploit victims of such trafficking, and takes all appropriate measures against officials who condone such trafficking. After reasonable requests from the Department of State for data regarding such investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, a government which does not provide such data consistent with its resources shall be presumed not to have vigorously investigated, prosecuted, convicted, or sentenced such acts. During the periods prior to the annual report submitted on June 1, 2004, and on June 1, 2005, and the periods afterwards until September 30 of each such year, the Secretary of State may disregard the presumption contained in the preceding sentence if the government has provided some data to the Department of State regarding such acts and the Secretary has determined that the government is making a good faith effort to collect such data.
(8) Whether the percentage of victims of severe forms of trafficking in the country that are non-citizens of such countries is insignificant.
(9) Whether the government of the country, consistent with the capacity of such government, systematically monitors its efforts to satisfy the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (8) and makes available publicly a periodic assessment of such efforts.
(10) Whether the government of the country achieves appreciable progress in eliminating severe forms of trafficking when compared to the assessment in the previous year.
(11) Whether the government of the country has made serious and sustained efforts to reduce the demand for
(A) commercial sex acts; and
(B) participation in international sex tourism by nationals of the country.
Reports of up to 500 Mauritanian women trafficked to Saudi Arabia have recently emerged in the Mauritanian press. Many of these women have been reduced to slavery. Aminetou Moctar, president of Women Heads of Family (Association Femmes Chef de Famille or AFCF), published an alert in early August, noting that Mauritanian officials had worked with Saudi officials to arrange for 500 Mauritanian women to travel for work in Mauritania.
A Mauritanian union, the Confederation Libre deTravailleurs de la Mauritanie (CLTM), has also denounced this trafficking to Saudi Arabia. The CLTM claims that a Saudi, Manea Aly Assiry, Directeur du Centre mobilier d’EBHA , travels every two weeks from Mauritania to Saudi Arabia to bring Mauritanian women to work in the Kingdom. CLTM reports that this has been a regular practice for the past three months and that 1,000 Mauritanian women have been transported at this time.
[In an effort to provide persuasive details for this alarming report, CLTM gives the address and telephone of Manea Aly Assiry: Hôtel Ghaser Salam, Medine- Tel. 00 966 557553573-Arabie Saoudite]
The women given passports and travel arrangements all come from the Haratine population of Mauritania. This is the ex-slave population, most of which is desperately poor and uneducated.
The women were promised good jobs with medical care and the protection of labor laws. They were also promised the chance to perform a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, and the opportunity to remain in contact with their families. The women have been deeply disappointed. Once arrived in the Saudi kingdom their new employers confiscated their passports, no medical care and no labor protections govern their work. They have had no opportunity to make a pilgrimage, and many landed in viciously exploitative and abusive situations. Employed as domestic laborers, the women commonly are forced to work around the clock with no rest and no food. Some of them have been forced into sexual relationships with elderly men, while others have suffered rapes. Women who complain are denounced as thieves and delivered to the police.
Mauritania has a history of sending women to Saudi Arabia, although previously the transactions tended to be for marriages rather than labor. The women or girls sent often became disadvantaged junior wives in polygamous marriages. Some became virtual prostitutes, married to a different man each day.
CLTM and AFCF both call for the repatriation of all the Mauritanian women. CLTM calls for the Mauritanian state to pay an indemnity to each trafficked woman.
Sources:
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20150729-arabie-saoudite-jeunes-mauritaniennes-reduites-esclavage/?aef_campaign_date=2015-07-29&aef_campaign_ref=partage_user&ns_campaign=reseaux_sociaux&ns_linkname=editorial&ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter
http://rimweb.net/arabie-saoudite-la-presidente-de-lafcf-denonce-la-traite-de-mauritaniennes/
http://www.cridem.org/C_Info.php?article=674104
 Maina Kiai urges Mauritania to change its current draft of the law to protect civil liberties and human rights in Mauritania. Source: UNOHCRH Continuing its crackdown of civil rights and freedoms, the Mauritanian government has proposed a law to further restrict the Mauritanian human rights organizations. The proposed law will impose a stringent review to determine whether organizations are “anti-government”. Those organizations or proposed organizations that do not pass this review will be denied any right to exist and will be denied the right to organize demonstrations or protests.
The law requires all organizations to go through a process of prior authorization. The existing law, dating to the colonial era, required mere notification of the government of a group’s existence. According to Maina Kiai, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of freedom of peaceful assembly for the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, the rationale behind prior notification is “to allow State authorities to facilitate the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to take measures to protect public safety.”
The proposed law requiring prior authorization of NGOs greatly threatens civil freedoms because it allows government officials to prevent any sort of opposition movement from organizing. In Mauritania, the anti-slavery movement is considered an opposition movement.
The law also lays out strict punishments for organizations that act without authorization but fails to be clear in regards to when an organization would be charged with a crime. The Mauritanian government continues to keep IRA leaders in prison. With this law, the Mauritanian government will strengthen its crack down on the defenders of freedom and justice, imprisoning many more.
Maina Kiai and other human rights leaders have condemned Mauritania’s actions and urge the nation to follow international human rights norms and standards. The international community must pressure Mauritania to cease working on this law and to allow freedom of expression for all activists in Mauritania.
To support the fight to release IRA leaders, sign this petition.
Sources:
“Mauritania: UN rights expert urges Parliament to repeal NGO Bill that threatens civil society.” Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. August 10, 2015. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16302&LangID=E#sthash.aXkjxcj6.dpuf.
Kiai, Maina. “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.” Human Rights Council. May 21, 2012. http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session20/A-HRC-20-27_en.pdf.
Reported by Diko from France:
(we will try to post an English language version of these events shortly)
Le putschiste faux général Mauritanien chassé de la ville d’Aleg où sont détenus arbitrairement les abolitionnistes depuis le 15 janvier 2015 par des militants des droits de l’homme venus nombreux hués le cortège présidentiel tout long de son trajet. La milice des mercenaires du BASEP qui accompagne le général dans tous ces déplacements à l’intérieur du pays a sauvagement agressé plusieurs militants, le faux général n’a même pas pu accéder à la tribune officielle.
Disons qu’il en soit ainsi dans tout le sud Mauritanien. Levez vous les opprimés, il est temps et dites merde au faux général et sa milice de mercenaires du BASEP.
La manifestation organisée par les militants IRA- MAURITANIE et d’autres aujourd’hui à Aleg contre la visite du faux général Aziz dans la région a réussi à 200%
À l’unanimité les gens ont reconnu cette réussite éclatante au point qu’Aziz a renoncé à atteindre la tribune officielle en prenant la fuite comme un voleur prit la main dans le sac.
La populations et les militants avaient dissimulé sous leurs boubous pour les hommes, voiles pour les femmes des photos des prisonniers d’opinion otages du pouvoir depuis 11 novembre 2014, des drapeaux aux couleurs rouges de IRA- MAURITANIE, des banderoles et les ils ont tous sortis spontanément en même temps pour crier Aziz Zéro, Aziz libérez les otages d’opinion dans le bagne d’Aleg.
Des militants dont Yacoub Inala ont été agressés sauvagement, frappé par 4 éléments parmi les mercenaires du BASEP et ils sont à l’hôpital.
Nous l’alerte à la mobilisation générale contre les visites du faux général Aziz dans le sud. Nous condamnons fermement cette agression sauvage, barbare des militants abolitionnistes qui sont venus nombreux dire leur raz-le-bol des injustices pacifiquement par cette milice des mercenaires au service d’un faux général putschiste despote sous le label de la sécurité présidentielle.
À bas le régime mercenaire totalitaire du général Aziz. Liberté pour Biram, Djiby et Brahim.
Djiby Sow, president of Kawtal and the chief organizer of the Anti-Slavery Caravan in October and November 2014, is suffering from kidney disease while in prison in Nouakchott.
Mr. Sow was arrested on November 11, 2014, while leading the anti-slavery Caravan in the out-lying districts of Rosso, Mauritania. He was the only non-IRA member arrested. He stood trial in Rosso and was sentenced on January 16, 2015 to two years imprisonment. Biram Dah Abedi, the president of IRA – Mauritanie, and Brahim Bilal Ramdane, Vice-President of IRA – Mauritanie, received the same sentence. All three were transferred from Rosso to Aleg. Mr. Dah Abeid and Mr. Ramdane remain in Aleg. Mr. Sow, however, was transferred to Nouakchott in March for medical treatment.
Unreasonable delays in this medical treatment have reduced Mr. Sow to extreme illness. Recent reports and a press conference on May 26, 2015 reveal that Mr. Sow remains in prison with his illness untreated. One of his doctors, Mariame Kébé, has resigned as his doctor so that she is not implicated in this on-going charade orchestrated by the prison officers.
Mr. Sow is in extreme pain, cannot sleep, and lies about in blood and pus soaked clothing. Without treatment, complete kidney failure is a real risk. This would be fatal.
A French court convicted Captain Ely Ould Dah of torture and sentenced him to ten years of imprisonment. Claiming universal jurisdiction, the court in Nimes handed down this sentence in 2005, but already in April 2000 Mr. Ould Dah had fled France for Mauritania.
In Mauritania, the government welcomed Mr. Ely Ould Dah with open arms and awarded him a promotion from Captain to Colonel.
Mr. Dah had been in France to attend a military training academy in Montpellier. He was arrested in 1999, and indicted for torture committed in 1990 and 1991 in Jreida against Black Mauritanian members of the military. Mr. Dah, a Haratine, is renowned for his role in torturing Black military officers, during which several individuals died.
 Source: International Crimes Database No justice or reconciliation for this episode of ethnic cleansing of the Mauritanian military has ever been achieved. Black Mauritanians seek to keep the memory of this criminal violence alive (see also this site) while the state led by President Aziz resolutely seeks to consign this violence to oblivion.
The new regulation imposed in the fall of 2014, which demands that all military communications be in Arabic, is yet another means of forcing Black Africans from higher military ranks. French is the common language among Black Africans in Mauritania (a community that includes Pular, Wolof, Soninke and Bambara). The government is overwhelmingly in the hands of Arabic speaking Beydane (Arab-Berbers, also known as White Moors).
From http://m.boolumbal.org/Capitaine-Ely-OULD-DAH-le-bourreau-de-Jreida_a10604.html
Arrêté en 1999 en France alors qu’il effectuait un stage à l’école du commissariat de l’armée de terre de Montpellier, et jugé, le criminel Ely ould DAH s’est pourtant enfui de la France en avril 2000 (dans des conditions douteuses) pour regagner la Mauritanie où il reçut un accueil chaleureux de la part du gouvernement mauritanien et des nationalistes arabes.
Promu au grade de colonel et toujours protégé par le régime raciste de Nouakchott, Ely OULD DAH vit paisiblement en Mauritanie, malgré sa condamnation par la Cour d’assises de Nîmes le 1er juillet 2005 à 10 ans de réclusion criminelle pour des actes de torture commis à l’encontre de militaires noirs mauritaniens entre 1990 et 1991, en application du principe de compétence universelle.
Ce sinistre officier haratine s’est tristement fait remarquer par sa cruauté et son comportement barbare lors des séances de tortures infligées aux militaires noirs mauritaniens arrêtés et détenus dans le camp mouroir de Jreida entre 1990 et 1991 et est responsable de la mort de plusieurs d’entre eux.
Témoignage d’un rescapé du camp mouroir de Jreida:
«Ely ould Dah , si tu lis ce petit mot ,tu te souviendras de moi; je suis là à NKC. Tu te rappelles du mégot brûlant que tu avais foutu dans mon anus? Je criais, je te suppliais, et toi tu riais, tu m’insultais; j’implorais ta grâce comme un lâche .Non tu ne peux pas oublier ce matin-là: pendant que mes mains et mes pieds étaient ligotés, tout nu, je te demandais sans honte devant mes frères emprisonnés comme moi ta clémence. Je te demandais de m’épargner la vie parce que j’ai laissé derrière moi six gosses. Tu m’as répondu :”es-tu sûr d’être leur vrai père”?
Ely, Dieu ne dort pas .Tôt ou tard tu finiras très mal, tu souffriras physiquement.
Tu ne peux pas nous oublier. Tu as fui la France, tu es venu au pays où tu as été accueilli en “héros” et “on” t’ouvrit des comptes bancaires bourrés d’argent à titre de félicitations par ould Taya et consorts. A faire vomir!»
Boubacar.D
Source:http://fliim90.canalblog.com
Commentaires (6)
2. abou aliou thiam le 25/05/2013 13:25
Il n’est pas seul, il était avec Ely Zayed MBARRECK, TALHATA, Abdallahi CAMARA, RAVEH, NAJI MANABA, AAALy MESSAOUD, TACKY FALL.
Seul un seul officier Ahmed Ould DEYE a refusé de torturer et de ligoter
L’Histoire mais les hommes doivent le récompenser, il parait qu’actuellment, il n’est que capitaine ou commandant alors que certains de ses promotionnaires sont Généraux.
N’oubliez pas le vice président de l’Assemblée qui était chef d’etat major Arby Jideine, son frère Sidi ALy était exemplaire et avait refusé les tortures malgré les insistances de BAMBI et de Meguette.
3. Ely Ould Krombeé le 25/05/2013 19:35
Encore une erreur .Le colonel Ahmed Ould Deye était en 1990 à”doueiré”au pk 55.Tous les élements devraient passer par lui étant le bras droit du capitaine Dehbi Ould Jaavar.Doueiré son pc était un lieu de tortures .Par égoisme ,il m’appela pour me dire “certains de tes élements convoqués ont reconnu vouloir tirer sur les positions marocaines” ce qui était contraire à mes affirmations.Quand je suis venu constater,j’ai trouvé que le sergent Diop était ligoté ,je lui ai dit:mon lieutenant c’est normal ,il va avouer un crime qu’il n’a pas commis sous la torture,detachez-le.J’ai appelé le cdt de region pour degager ma responsabilité en cas de decès en plus d’une note d’information;ce dernier me rassura que mes élements n’étaient que de “passage à la doueira”en attente d’être acheminés sur NDB.Ould Deye est à l’origine de l’arrestation d’Ould Minni son cousin côté mère.Il sera même decoré pour cela un 28 novembre.
Renseignez-vous bien sur ce monsieur.Ce n’est pas le moment de tout deballer.Un jour viendra inch’Allah.
4. ndiol sene le 26/05/2013 14:22
Ely krombolé,tu ne fais que mentir,tu as le culot de dire que MOHAMED O/ MEGUETT n’est pas un tortionnaire et tu passe tout ton temps à cracher ton venin sur AZIZ.Il ya de cela deux ans je t’avais posé la question suivante,dis nous ce que tu connais des assassinats des militaires?Lorsque la liste des tortionnaires a été établie toutes les dispositions ont été prises pour qu’il y est un minimum d’erreur,elle a été etablie par les victimes.Arrete donc de mentir et de vouloir défendre des criminels.Au juste quel le prix pour défendre un criminel dont toutes les victimes savent le role qu’il a joué dans ses évenements?Grand menteur,tu sais qu’il y avait trois officiers qui ont piloté ses opérations;MAGUETT?MHD HADI,ELY VALL…..
5. Ely Ould Krombeé le 26/05/2013 20:03
On dirait que vous ne savez pas lire entre les lignes.Sur ce site on accuse Meguett d’avoir tué des officiers,des sous-officiers et des soldats,or son nom n’a été cité que dans le cas de Tambadou.Sur ce même site on blanchit le lieutenant-colonel Ahmed Ould Dey,or il est trempé jusqu’au cou.Je place les choses dans leur contexte original sans injustice .C’est comme ça que le passif pourrait trouver son règlement dans la droiture contrairement à la philosophie des bourreaux.Si tu veux combattre l’impunité,l’injustice par la même injustice ,tu es donc comme les tortionnaires.Enfin si AZIZ est un homme bien pour toi,dis-lui de regler le passif dès demain.Je vais te dire une chose:je n’ai jamais menti .Donc si moi je n’ai jamais menti,où est le mensonge alors?Peut-être de ton côté courto ou ndiol.
6. Galo Demmba Soh le 27/05/2013 20:50
Une chose est sûre : Des victimes innocentes injustement sacrifiées il y en plein et des tortionnaires et criminels qui doivent rendre des comptes continuent de pavaner librement dans les rues de Nktt !!!!
We have received multiple reports of seventeen arrests in a town near Rosso, Mauritania. Fourteen women and three men have been jailed because they asserted their property rights over land seized during the 1989 ethnic cleansing. These women and men were forced out of Mauritania during the violence of 1989. Repatriated to Mauritania in a deal brokered with the United Nations High Committee on Refugees in 2008, these repatriated live in destitution while their ancestral lands are farmed others.
This specific conflict arose from the women seeking to harvest a grove of mangoes planted by their parents and grandparents. A White Moor (Beydane) woman now claims ownership of this farm. She enjoys police protection and local authorities forged a land title in her name.
The Kawtal Caravan in October and November 2014 sought to bring attention to such land grabs. The Black Mauritanians who lose land rights to Beydanes are completely impoverished, and thereby are reduced to complete subjection to the Beydanes.
The arrests on November 11, 2014 and the trial in Rosso led to the current imprisonment of Biram Dah Abeid, Brahim Bilal Ramadan and Djiby Sow. The others arrested in November were acquitted and freed on January 16, 2015.
Below is the press release from IRA – Mauritanie. See also, the report on CRIDEM.
INITIATIVE DE RESURGENCE DU MOUVEMENT ABOLITIONNISTE
EN MAURITANIE
Affaire Thiambène
Depuis le lundi 25/05/2015, quatorze (14) femmes et trois (3) hommes du village de Thiambène situé à 15 km de Rosso, dans la Commune de Jidrel Mohguen, dont le chef de village, sont détenus dans les locaux de la Brigade de Gendarmerie à Rosso. Leur arrestation est la conséquence d’une injustice, qui date des évènements de 1989, dont sont victimes la communauté villageoise de Thiambène.
Il s’agit d’une situation extraordinaire dans la quelle une dame, arabo-berbère prétend un droit de propriété d’une mangueraie aux limites Est du village de Thiambène que les villageois ont plantée et entretenue sur leurs terres ancestrales. L’audace de l’inquisitrice a été possible par la complicité des autorités administratives qui lui ont fourni de faux titres de propriété sur les terres en question donc sur la mangueraie. Depuis plusieurs années, la dame fait la récolte de son « butin » sous bonne garde des forces de l’ordre. Excédées par cette situation rocambolesque, un groupe de femmes du village a procédé à la récolte des mangues qui sont en réalité leur propriété, fruit de leur labeur.
En effet, en novembre 2014, IRA – Mauritanie et ses partenaires, dénonçant l’esclavage foncier et les expropriations des terres fertiles de la vallée du fleuve Sénégal, ont organisé une caravane pacifique qui est partie de Boghé pour rallier Rosso. Malheureusement, le matin du 11 novembre où la caravane devait arriver à Rosso, une répression aveugle et incompréhensible s’est abattue sur les militants des droits humains avec comme résultats l’arrestation de plusieurs d’entre eux dont Biram DAH ABEID – président d’IRA, son adjoint Brahim BILAL RAMDHAN et Djiby SOW – Président de l’ONG Kawtal ngam Yellitaare.
Les faits graves qui se passent à Thiambène caractérisent un racisme d’Etat devenu, malheureusement, banal. Dans ce contexte, IRA – Mauritanie :
Exprime toute sa solidarité avec les populations du village de Thiambène,
Met en garde les autorités racistes et esclavagistes contre les risques d’implosion et de conflits communautaires, pourtant réels et provoqués par leur traitement partial des litiges fonciers,
Et enfin, appelle les militants et sympathisants d’IRA – Mauritanie au Trarza de se tenir aux côtés des populations de Thiambène dans leur lutte pacifique pour la dignité.
Fait, à Nouakchott, le 28 mai 2015
IRA – Mauritanie — La Commission de Communication
Kdeîd O Ely in Nava Savra is demanding that his wife and five children be released from slavery. Fatimettou Mint M’Bareck and her five children (Cheikh, Sid’Amar, El Housseîn, Zave et Mamty) have been held captive by Cheîkh O Hanga, described as a wealthy businessman. For the past year Elfoutiyou – Kdeîd O Ely has been trying to free his family. Nava Savra is 80 kilometers from Timbedra, a department in the Hodh El Chargui region.
Kdeîd O Ely has lodged unsuccessful complaints in Néma, in Timbedra, in Amourj and in Nouakchott.
Finally, a judge in Timbedra summoned Cheîkh O Hanga, and Kdeîd O Ely demanded formally that his wife and children be freed. However the alleged slave-master categorically denied the request. The judge, faced with Cheîkh O Hanga’s refusal, asked that Kdeîd O Ely submit to Cheîkh O Hanga’s will, and continue to allow his wife and children live in slavery.
This reporting is preliminary. The judge has thus far not made a public comment on this case.
April 27th was the anniversary of the “Burning of the Books.” This is the day that Biram Dah Abeid publicly burned several Malikite legal texts because they contain legal interpretations that uphold and elaborate on slavery.
IRA Mauritanie held a commemoration of this bold action on the part of Biram. The public book burning lead to the arrest of Biram and many other IRA members. There were calls for the execution of Biram because at first the book burning was viewed as apostasy. However, after some time for debate and reflection, the Mauritanians came to understand this book burning reached only Malikite jurisprudence, it in no way questioned the Koran or divine truth.
Although Biram was arrested and jailed for several months, the trial for apostasy was never completed. His release pending trial mutated into indefinite release.
Currently Biram is in jail for resisting public authority. He was sentenced on January 15, 2015 to two years in jail along with Brahim Bilal Ramadan and Djiby Sow. These men and many others were arrested on November 11, 2014 on the orders of the Wali of Rosso. The arrest order, coming from the Wali (or, Governor) of Rosso, was illegal. According to Mauritanian law, arrests must arise from the office of the Prosecutor. In this instance, the Governor not only ordered the arrest, he did not even inform the Procureur until the following morning.
Last week we started receiving reports of extensive dispossession of peasant farmers in Boghe, Mauritania. Reportedly the government of Mauritania, personified by President Mohamed Abdel Aziz, has leased 3200 hectares to a Saudi agency for a period of 90 years.
The problem is: this land is farmed by people who have lived, worked, and made their homes there for generations.
Brahim Jiddou, Yacoub Inalla, and Sabar Houssein were sentenced on March 19, 2015 for their protests in October of 2014 against a sermon by the imam of the Saudi Grand Mosque of Nouakchott.
Their arrest was precipitated by the Mufti’s attack ob Biram Dah Abeid, including calling for the murder of Biram and denouncing the members of IRA as apostates and enemies of Mauritania.
Jiddou was sentenced to six months, Sabar Houssein received a seven month sentence, and Yacoub Inalla received a five month sentence.
The imam’s testimony was submitted via affidavit, not personal testimony.
The criminal court in Nouakchott issued a verdict for those arrested following November 11 arrests for the anti-slavery Caravan in Rosso.
Mariem Mint Cehiek, Yacoub Moussa and Dr. Saad Ould Louleid were each given a one year suspended sentence for the crime of “belonging to a non-authorized organization.” This verdict conflicts with the January 15th verdict in Rosso, in which the charge of belonging to a non-authorized organization was not grounds for the guilty verdict of Biram Dah Abeid, Brahim Bilal Ramdhane or Djiby Sow. Abeid is President of IRA, the allegedly “non-authorized organization” and Brahim is Vice-President. It is unclear why they were not convicted of this offense and yet Mariem Cheik, Saad Louleid and Moussa were. This type of arbitrary legal ruling reflect the weak rule of law in Mauritania.
The charge of “incitation to violence” was not sustained against any of these defendants.
Three other groups of IRA activists are still in prison.
These include
1) The group convicted of disobeying authorities on January 15th in the trial in Rosso: President of IRA, Biram Dah Abeid, Vice-President of IRA, Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, and President of Kawtaal, Djiby Sow. These men were all sentenced to two years. They are in jail pending appeal of this verdict.
2- The group imprisoned for protesting the expropriation of Haratine property, including BBoubacar Yatma and Hanana M’Borick. These men were sentenced to a year in prison. This sentence will soon be served in its entirety.
3- The group of individuals excommunicated because of the events at the Grand Saudi Mosque in Nouakchott, including Brahim Jiddou,
Yacoub Inalla, and Sabar Houssein. These men have been in prison since October 2014. The verdict in their trial is scheduled for the 19th of March. Their arrest was precipitated by the Mufti’s attack of Biram Dah Abeid, including calling for the murder of Biram and denouncing the members of IRA as apostates and enemies of Mauritania.
Mauritanie – La Cour correctionnelle de
Nouakchott vient de rendre son verdict à l’issue
du procès du groupe de la deuxième vague de la «
Caravane pour l’abolition de l’esclavage foncier ».
La Cour a condamné la militante Mariem Mint
Cheikh ainsi que Yacoub Ould Moussa et Dr. Saad
Ould Louleid à un an de prison avec sursis pour «
appartenance à une organisation non reconnue » et
ordonné leur libération. Aucun des trois prévenus
n’a été reconnu coupable du second chef
d’accusation qui était « incitation à la violence ».
Trois autres groupes de militants d’ IRA et de
droits de l’homme continuent à croupir dans les
prisons du gouvernement de Ould Abdel Aziz , au
grand bonheur de la clique d’esclavagistes et
d’obscurantistes qui en tirent les ficelles. Il s’agit :
1- Du groupe de la première vague de « la
Caravane pour l’abolition de l’esclavage foncier »
composé du président d’ IRA, Prix 2013 de l’ONU
pour les droits de l’homme, Biram Dah Abeid, du
vice-président d’ IRA, Brahim Ould Bilal et de Djiby
Sow , président de l’ONG de défense des droits de
l’homme Kawtaal , qui attendent leur procès en
appel depuis le 15 janvier dans la prison d’ Aleg en
violation flagrante de la procédure judiciaire ;
2- Du groupe de « l’expropriation foncière » ,
composé de Boubacar Yatma et Hanana M’Borick,
condamnés en première instance à un an de
prison ferme qui expirera dans deux mois sans
que leur procès en appel ne soit programmé ;
3- Du groupe des « excommuniés de la Mosquée
Saoudienne » composés de Brahim Jiddou,
Yacoub Inalla et Sabar Houssein qui sont en
prison depuis octobre 2014 pour avoir répondu au
Mufti de la République qui avait, lors d’un prêche
officiel appelé au meurtre du président d’ IRA et
qualifié ses militants d’apostat et d’ennemis de
l’intérieur.
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