Country: Mauritania
Group: Haratin
Date Finalized: 3/10/2021
Team: Rayna Castillo (lead), Johanna McComb, Hannah Goldman, Jocelyn Chen
There is evidence that the Haratin have experienced incidents of being forced away by the Mauritanian government. The data quality is rated as a 2.
The Haratin are an ethnic group that is also referred to as “Haratines” and included in a term, “black moor”, that often encompasses other ethnic groups as well. The Haratin people have a history of facing discrimination and oppression by the Mauritanian government. After attempts to prohibit slavery in 1980 and 2003 that failed due to lack of enforcement, the government finally criminalized slavery in 2007 though the practice is still not strictly enforced and still exists (Minority Rights Group, 2018). As descendants of black slaves and because of the poorly executed abolition of slavery, the Haratin slave status has been slow to change and it is reflected in their treatment by the Mauritanian government. Droughts in the late 1900s led many Haratin to go to Nouakchott, though as former slaves they were considered very low in social status and denied many basic rights (Boukhars, 2012, p. 9). In the late 20th century, in an attempt to get rid of squatter settlements in and around Nouakchott, the government ultimately displaced thousands of Haratin families as their land was taken and sold and again in 2008 and 2010 when another similar event occurred (Boukhars, 2012, p. 9). The most recent action taken by the government was in March 2012 when several constitutional amendments were passed that confirm the multi-ethnic character of the state, criminalize slavery, and prohibit military coups. These actions were meant to help lessen ethnic tension (Boukhars, 2012, p. 10).
The evidence documenting these events are assigned a 2 out of 3 for data quality. There is evidence available from credible sources, but the sources are not specific and limited in quantity.
Sources
- Boukhars, A. (2012, April). The Drivers of Insecurity in Mauritania. The Carnegie Papers. https://carnegieendowment.org/files/mauritania_insecurity.pdf
- Minority Rights Group. (2018). Haratines. Retrieved from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/haratin/