Putting a spotlight on a dark secret in Mauritania

[dArKeR]

The fate of a camel herder named Matalla highlights the failure of some Africa states to eradicate the ancient scourge of slavery

AP , Dakar, Senegal
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004,Page 9

Anti-slavery activists in Mauri-tania are waging a rare public campaign to rescue Matalla, a 20-year-old camel herder they say fled into the protection of troops to escape a life of bondage.

His alleged owners have already tried to get him back from soldiers patrolling Mauritania's northern desert, the activists allege. They quote the troops as saying the frightened young man came to them on Jan. 12, saying "I'd rather you kill me, because at least you would bury me properly."

The story unfolding last week in the remote north is difficult to verify firsthand -- Mauritania is hard to get into and its officials are saying very little.

But the UN, US State Department and human rights groups say slavery persists in Africa's north and west. The Boston-based American Anti-Slavery Group says more than 200,000 people currently labor as chattel slaves in Mauritania, Niger and Sudan, nations on centuries-old Arab-African Saharan trade routes.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/02/19/2003099336