SOS Esclaves

SOS Esclaves (SOS Slaves) has been pioneering the fight against slavery in Mauritania for over 14 years and are the leading anti-slavery organisation in the country. They seek to expose the realities of the practice, challenge its widespread acceptance and defend the rights of those seeking to escape it.

The organisation was founded in 1995 by Abdel Nasser Ould Othman Yessa, the son of a prominent Mauritanian minister and himself a former slave master, and Boubacar Messaoud, a son of slaves. While education is usually unavailable for most Haratines, Boubacar was the first person in his family to receive an education. SOS Esclaves now has over 150 members across the country driving forward the campaign for change.

Due to the sensitivity of the issue they challenged and the denial of slavery by the former military dictatorship, members of SOS Esclaves were forced to work semi-underground for many years despite receiving observer status before the ACHPR (African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights) in 1996.

SOS activists have been harassed, threatened, intimidated, ridiculed, imprisoned, and have risked torture and even death for speaking openly about slavery. The state-run media frequently broadcasted reports warning people not to associate themselves with SOS Esclaves and the continual oppression of those who attempted to raise the status of enslaved people forced many activists to live in exile.


Boubacar Messaoud, the President of SOS Esclaves, has been imprisoned on three occasions. In 1981 he was arrested and held for three months for denouncing slavery. In 1998 he was arrested, along with four other members of SOS Esclaves, for giving an interview about slavery on a French-language television programme. They were all sentenced to 13 months in prison but were later released, following concerted action by the international community.

Their lack of official recognition has also meant that members of SOS Esclaves have carried out their courageous work with extremely limited human and financial resources, relying on voluntary work by its members.

Finally, in April 2005 the Mauritanian Government allowed SOS Esclaves to register as an official Non-Governmental Organisation and campaign openly for an end to slavery. Following the coup in August 2005, SOS Esclaves took a strong lead in engaging with the newly formed transitional government and civil society groups in building a coalition on the slavery question.

SOS Esclaves has been instrumental in spearheading the movement in Mauritania to have slavery criminalised in law, having led with determination the campaign and debate with parliamentarians, the media and the public in developing new legislation which prohibits and punishes slavery, which constitutes an historic achievement.

Alongside campaigning, SOS Esclaves has provided assistance to hundreds of people escaping slavery over the past decade. Members situated throughout the country at local branches help people when they initially flee, by offering food and shelter. SOS Esclaves also assist former slaves to find work and accommodation in the medium-term and where necessary they provide legal assistance alongside counselling support to help them overcome the trauma of their experiences.

SOS Esclaves is also committed to the eradication of slavery through addressing the discrimination and social prejudice which underpins it. They campaign for those affected and stigmatised by slavery to have equal access to civil and political, as well as social and economic rights.

Challenges ahead

Despite the recent progress and increased governmental engagement with civil society organisations, the future holds many challenges. In August 2008, the military (led by General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz) carried out a further coup d'état which ousted the elected President Abdallahi. On the 6 June, presidential elections will be held although these are seen by many as an attempt to legitimise the military coup, and opposition parties are boycotting them.

Political instability severely threatens to thwart recent advances and stall momentum and commitment towards the eradication of slavery. Since the coup, human rights defenders have also faced renewed violence. In April this year, Boubacar Messaoud was violently and deliberately targeted by police at a peaceful demonstration as a known anti-slavery activist, and was hospitalised after being beaten with batons by the Police until he lost consciousness.

Furthermore, it remains to be seen to what extent the law can be effective and will be implemented. Since the new law was passed, SOS Esclaves' lawyers have been involved in seven slavery cases which have resulted in the release of more than a dozen people from their masters. However, despite the fact that all of these cases were reported to the authorities, there has not been one single prosecution or any significant investigation into individuals responsible for crimes of slavery.

Therefore, SOS Esclaves and its partners are strongly advocating for the establishment of an independent commission in order to mediate the release of slaves, monitor the application of the law and investigate cases of slavery, to ensure that those who hold slaves are punished rather than treated with impunity. Supplementary to legal protection, it is paramount that economic and social assistance, such as access to land or micro-credit, is provided to those leaving slavery to enable them to support themselves independently and rebuild their lives.

Perhaps the most significant challenge facing SOS Esclaves and those in slavery is the pervasive cultural acceptance of the practise. Nonetheless, SOS Esclaves continue to confront these cultural norms and call for a national awareness-raising campaign about the newly founded illegality of slavery and the punishment the law now carries, alongside promoting human rights education to make slaves aware of their equal rights, build their confidence to speak out about their abuse, and enable them to seek justice.

Read about Slavery in Mauritania
Read about Kheidama's experience