The Silence of the Twenty-First Century Slaves

Tamoha Saha

Ms. Tompkins

WLH P.1

3/13/15

The Silence of the Twenty-First Century Slaves

In 1981, 126 years after slavery was abolished in the United States, Mauritania became the last country on the planet to criminalize enslavement (African News Service). Still, about 4% of the nation is enslaved, despite their protests and cries for help that are promptly silenced by the government. While it is present in many African countries, the West African country of Mauritania experiences the most slavery in the world. With approximately 155,600 people enslaved, young girls and women are still being married off for money, and men, women, and children are still being sold for their forced labor (Walk Free Foundation). The nation state has taken some action against slavery, but with much of the population enslaved, the issue continues to persist.

The people of Mauritania are never safe from the dangers of slavery; any citizen is vulnerable to being enslaved. According to the 2014 survey from the Global Slavery Index, the Mauritanian government’s “exploitation of citizens continues due to a ‘deliberate and systematic failure’ of the government to enforce laws” (Walk Free Foundation). Mauritanians are not protected by their government, meaning that it is not taking enough measures to protect potential and past victims of slavery. For example, while the state has made enslavement punishable by law, victims must file a complaint themselves (AllAfrica). However, many victims will be enslaved until they die, therefore never free to file a complaint. In addition, most are illiterate as well. They do not have real opportunities for justice, and therefore are not truly sheltered from slavery and its consequences as a result of the government’s limited actions against slavery.

Furthermore, those who commit acts of slavery are rarely punished by the justice system. Specifically, while the Mauritanian government named slavery as a major offense in 2007, only one slave owner has been convicted of the crime, while dozens of anti-slavery protesters have been arrested (Sutter). While Mauritania’s government convicts protesters against slavery, real victims of this act continue to be enslaved. Sufferers cannot trust their own government to take action against slavery. The government is not enforcing the policy they established to protect victims of slavery. Hence, Mauritanians suffer from the government’s lack of involvement.

This society where slavery is normal will continue to exist with the government’s current absence in protecting its citizens from this felony. Slavery has thrived in Mauritania for years, even with the establishments of laws and policies against the punishable offense. In the era where equality and human rights are increasingly taking place worldwide, Mauritanians have to live their lives for someone else as slaves. They remain defenseless against the dangers of slavery, leaving them silent as the world’s twenty-first century slaves.

Works Cited

African News Service. "Mauritania Tops Global Slavery Index." Global Issues in Context. Gale, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.

AllAfrica. "Mauritania: Modern Slavery in Mauritania." AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Sutter, John D. "Slavery's Last Stand." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Walk Free Foundation. "Mauritania - Walk Free Foundation - Global Slavery Index 2014." Walk Free Foundation Global Slavery Index 2014. Walk Free Foundation, 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.