Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, formally ending it by presidential decree in 1981 and later passing a law in 2007 that criminalized slave‑holding and related practices. Despite these legal changes, independent estimates and human rights reports indicate that forms of modern slavery and caste‑based servitude persist. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
The Global Slavery Index estimated around 149,000 people in Mauritania were living in modern slavery conditions in 2021, equivalent to roughly 3.2% of the population. These practices include forced labor, hereditary bondage, and other forms of exploitation tied to a historical caste system that disproportionately affects darker‑skinned Haratin and Afro‑Mauritanian communities. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Groups subjected to these conditions often face extreme poverty, lack of education, and limited access to legal remedies. Critics and human rights activists argue that enforcement of anti‑slavery laws remains weak and that many victims continue to live in situations akin to servitude despite official abolition and criminalization. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
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