Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The iconic image of nomadic Moors sipping a cup of tea under a tent in the desert be-
longs to the past. Over the past three decades, drought has resulted in a mass exodus of
traditionally nomadic Moors from the desert to Nouakchott.
Women are in a fairly disadvantaged position. Only a third as many women as men are
literate and few are involved in commercial activities. Female genital mutilation and
forced feeding of young brides are still practised in rural communities. However, Maurit-
anian women do have the right to divorce and exert it routinely.
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People
Of Mauritania's estimated three million inhabitants, about 60% are Moors of Arab and
Berber descent. The Moors of purely Arab descent, called 'Bidan', account for 40% of the
population, and hold the levers of political power. The other major group is black Afric-
ans, ethnically split into two groups. The Haratin (black Moors), the descendants of
people enslaved by the Moors, have assimilated the Moorish culture and speak Hassan-
iyya, an Arabic dialect. Black Mauritanians living in the south along the Senegal River
constitute 40% of the total population and are mostly Fulani or the closely related Tuku-
lor. These groups speak Pulaar (Fula). There are also Soninke and Wolof minorities.
More than 99% of the population are Sunni Muslims.
SLAVERY IN MAURITANIA
Mauritania has one of the most stratified caste systems in Africa. The system is based on lineage, occupation and
access to power, but colour has become a major determinant of status, splitting the population into Bidan and
Haratin - White and Black Moors. At the bottom of the social pile are slaves and ex-slaves.
Chattel slavery has long been apart of Mauritanian culture, with the owning of slaves a sign of social status. In-
credibly, it was only in 1980 that the government finally declared slavery illegal. Despite this, the head of Maurit-
ania's Human Rights Commission has said that antislavery laws are rarely enforced, despite tougher punishments
legislated for in 2007. Estimates vary, but a 2010 UN special report on slavery suggests that upwards of 340,000
Mauritanians may still be enslaved. The Mauritanian antislavery organisation SOS-Esclaves ('SOS-Slaves';
www.sosesclaves.org
)
works with runaway slaves.
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Arts & Crafts
