MAURITANIA: TIER 3 REASSESSMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000512 SIPDIS G-TIP, G-ACBLANK, E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019 TAGS: KTIP PGOV PHUM MR SUBJECT: MAURITANIA: TIER 3 REASSESSMENT REF: A. SECSTATE 81476 ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 396 ¶C. NOUAKCHOTT 486 ¶D. NOUAKCHOTT 312 ¶E. NOUAKCHOTT 431 Classified By: Ambassador Mark Boulware for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In response to Ref A, please note that due to a prolonged political crisis, Mauritania has made limited progress in addressing the recommendations outlined in the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP). The Transitional Government of National Unity stemming from the Dakar Accord was informed of Mauritania's Tier 3 classification on June 15 but no Action Plan was delivered because the Human Rights Commission lacked the mandate to implement new programs and the ministers themselves had limited authority to start new policy initiatives under their transition status. The 11-month long political stalemate unleashed by the August 6, 2008 coup d'etat only recently came to an end with the election of Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on July 18 and the appointment of a new government on August 11. Despite continued reports of slavery cases involving minors and a failure to prosecute slave owners on either anti-slavery or child protection laws, it is important to note that on March 21 the Human Rights Commissioner launched a one billion UM (3.7 million USD) Program to Eradicate the Effects of Slavery. Government officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Human Rights Commission acknowledged Mauritania's need to improve its TIP record but requested USG help in funding initiatives such as an anti-slavery police unit. End summary. ¶2. (C) The 2009 TIP report and Mauritania's Tier 3 reclassification came out in the midst of an unprecedented political crisis. The Transitional Government of National Unity stemming from the Dakar Accord had been in place for only a few days when Ambassador Boulware delivered the demarche informing the government of Mauritania's Tier 3 reclassification (Ref B). At the time, the Human Rights Commission was unable to start new programs under Dakar Accord dispositions to avoid political instrumentalization of new initiatives in view of the upcoming July 18 election. As a result, and with G/TIP concurrence, Ambassador Boulware did not deliver an Action Plan as the Mauritanians would have been unable to implement it. In July, PolOff discussed Mauritania's TIP situation with Advisor to the Minister of Justice Haimoud Ould Ramadhane and received reassurance of Mauritania's commitment to improving its record. Ramadhane asked the USG to help fund TIP initiatives, particularly an anti-slavery police unit (Ref C). ¶3. (C) Since April, post received two reports from leading anti-slavery organization SOS Esclaves of slavery and child abuse cases involving minors Hana Mint Maria and Vatimetou Mint Mata Moulana (Ref D and E). According to SOS Esclaves, the court system failed to remove Maria and Moulana from their abusive households or to prosecute the families responsible for abuses against them on either anti-slavery or child abuse laws. ¶4. (C) On July 23, Human Rights Director Tourade Ould Abdel MalekAbdel informed PolOff that the Human Rights Commission launched in March 21 a program to Eradicate the Effects of Slavery for 1 billion UM (3.7 million USD) of which 233,127,904 UM (863,000 USD) have already been obligated. The program aims at reducing poverty among former slave populations in the Triangle of Poverty by improving access to water, health and education infrastructure as well as work opportunities. ¶5. (C) Mauritania's TIP status is of critical importance to the Mission. With a new long-term government installed just today, the Ambassador and Mission officers will now be able to fully engage Mauritanian counterparts now empowered to act. The Ambassador will highlight the TIP issue in his courtesy calls with the new Prime Minister and key ministries including Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Education and Social Affairs. BOULWARE