Mauritania: The Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), including its Canadian and US chapters, its founding, mission, structure, activities and documents issued to members; treatment of members by the authorities (2018–November 2020)
1. Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA)
Sources report that the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) is an anti-slavery organization that represents the Haratin [1] in Mauritania (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 10; UNPO 16 Apr. 2020). According to its bylaws, the IRA is [translation] "an apolitical non-profit human rights defence association" (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 1). The organization was founded in 2008 (IRA Mauritanie 7 Dec. 2018; HRW Feb. 2018, 5). The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) [2] notes that the IRA is internationally recognized despite the fact that it is not officially authorized by the Mauritanian government (UNPO 16 Apr. 2020).
1.1 Leader
According to sources, the President of the IRA is Biram Dah Abeid [Biram, Abeid, Biram Ould/Oud Abeid, Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid] (Front Line Defenders [2019]; IRA Mauritanie 10 Aug. 2018). Sources report that he is also the founder of the IRA (IDN 20 Feb. 2020; RWCHR [Jan. 2019]). He is reportedly a former slave (IRA Mauritanie and UNPO July 2018, 1), the descendant of former slaves (IDN 20 Feb. 2020) or a former Haratin slave (Inside Arabia 30 Jan. 2019). Sources describe him as an [translation] "abolitionist" (RTS 29 Dec. 2019) or [translation] "anti-slavery" activist (AFP 30 Jan. 2019). He also won the UN Human Rights Prize in 2013 (RTS 29 Dec. 2019; IRA-USA 16 Oct. 2018).
Sources report that Biram Dah Abeid has run in various elections in Mauritania, including the September 2018 legislative elections (Front Line Defenders [2019]; RWCHR [Jan. 2019]) and the June 2019 presidential election (Le Point 11 June 2019; AFP 30 Jan. 2019). He was elected to Parliament [in September 2018 (AFP 30 Jan. 2019; RWCHR [Jan. 2019])] despite being in prison (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 3; RWCHR [Jan. 2019]). In June 2019, he came in second place in the presidential election (RTS 29 Dec. 2019; RFI 2 Oct. 2019).
1.2 Mission
According to the IRA's bylaws, three of the organization's goals are to [translation] "fight slavery and its after-effects," "promote cultural rights [and] equal opportunity," and "raise national and international awareness around the problem of slavery" (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 5). According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), in addition to fighting slavery, the president of the IRA [HRW English version] "also denounces the under-representation of Haratines and other blacks in senior government positions" (HRW Feb. 2018, 5). On the subject of Biram Dah Abeid, InDepthNews (IDN) [3] reports that he "has worked to strengthen the enforcement of Mauritanian laws forbidding slavery" and to "improve the social integration and livelihood of former slaves and other members of the majority black-African population facing discrimination" (IDN 20 Feb. 2020).
1.3 Activities
According to its bylaws, the IRA's preferred means of fulfilling its mission are press conferences, media appearances, awareness-raising, information dissemination, participation in forums and international conferences on human rights issues, and sharing of experiences (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 6). In a report submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture in July 2018, IRA Mauritania and UNPO note that the IRA "has been involved in sit-ins in front of the justice ministry, hunger strikes and marches through cities and towns around Mauritania" (IRA Mauritanie and UNPO July 2018, 1).
According to the authors of an article published in Inside Arabia [4], the IRA helps slaves to free themselves (Inside Arabia 30 Jan. 2019). The US government's international radio broadcaster, Voice of America (VOA), referring to a formerly enslaved women running in the September 2018 elections, states that she was freed in 2008 with the help of the IRA "after one of her brothers escaped and alerted the anti-slavery group" (VOA 31 July 2018).
In the July 2018 report to the UN Committee Against Torture, IRA Mauritania and UNPO report "cases of torture or other cruel, inhuman[e] or degrading treatment or punishment perpetrated against people from the Haratin community" in Mauritania (IRA Mauritanie and UNPO July 2018, 3). According to Reuters, the president of the IRA denounced Mauritania's accession to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in February 2020 (Reuters 26 Feb. 2020).
1.4 Structure
According to its bylaws, the IRA is organized as follows: a congress, which includes all its members (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 8); an executive council of 25 members elected by the congress, which manages the organization (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 9); and a permanent committee of 9 members (a president, a vice president, and seven secretaries), chosen from among the executive council and tasked with the day-to-day management of the movement (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 10). At the department or arrondissement (borough) level, the IRA is structured into [translation] "chapters," which may be divided into "subchapters," and then into "cells," the smallest structures (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 17, 18). The IRA also includes a Peace Committee (Comité de paix, CDP), which is responsible for maintaining order and discipline within the organization and in the course of its activities (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 20).
Sources claim there is a political party affiliated with the IRA, the RAG [5] (VOA 31 July 2018; Biram Dah Abeid, 9 Aug. 2018). A VOA article calls it the "political wing" of the IRA (VOA 31 July 2018). This is reportedly Biram Dah Abeid's political party, but still unofficial and not recognized by authorities (HRW Feb. 2018, 30; Jeune Afrique 6 Oct. 2019). Sources also state that the IRA's political wing, or the RAG, allied with the Sawab [Assawab] Party (Biram Dah Abeid 9 Aug. 2018) in the September 2018 elections (VOA 31 July 2018). Front Line Defenders [6] reports in January 2019 that Biram Dah Abeid is the leader of the Sawab Party (Front Line Defenders [2019]).
1.5 Membership
According to the organization's bylaws, [translation] "any person or entity adhering to the … bylaws and abiding by the Rules of Procedure" may be a member of IRA Mauritania (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Art. 22). According to the Rules of Procedure, to become a member, an individual must fill out a membership form and agree in writing to follow the bylaws and rules (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Règlement intérieur, Art. 4), and then [translation] "be added to the section's membership list … within the following 15 days," providing their identity, address, "order number," membership date, and signature (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Règlement intérieur, Art. 6). IRA Mauritania members receive a membership card to identify them as members; the cost of the card is 200 Mauritanian ouguiyas (MRO) [approximately C$7] (IRA Mauritanie 27 Jan. 2018, Règlement intérieur, Art. 6). A sample of the membership card or additional information on the documents issued to members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
2. Treatment by Authorities
2.1 Non-recognition
Sources report that the IRA has still not received [HRW English version] "legal recognition" (HRW 2019) or "authori[zation]" from the Mauritanian authorities (UNPO 16 Apr. 2020; Amnesty International 2018, 11), "despite repeated requests" (Amnesty International 2018, 11). Sources explain that due to this lack of official recognition, any activity that the association undertakes may be considered illegal (Amnesty International 2018, 11; Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 10) and "subject to repression" (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 10). Amnesty International adds the following about the situation in Mauritania:
While unauthorized associations are often tolerated, their leadership, members and participants to their activities are exposed to substantial risks and administrative difficulties, including accessing donor funding or notifying authorities of planned public activities. Even when they are authorized, associations face impermissible restrictions, including the banning of planned activities, surveillance and arbitrary dissolutions. (Amnesty International 2018, 11)
However, media sources report that in September 2020, a bill to switch the registration of associations from an authorization-based system to a declaratory one was approved by the Council of Ministers and hailed by the president of the IRA (AMI 18 Sept. 2020) or by the IRA and various human rights organizations (RFI 18 Sept. 2020). Radio France internationale (RFI) explains that it will enable associations to [translation] "simply make a declaration rather than forcing them to obtain permission from authorities first" (RFI 18 Sept. 2020). Information on the adoption of this law could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
2.2 Accusations of Division
Sources report that the Mauritanian government accuses the IRA of [HRW English version] "undermin[ing] national unity" (HRW Feb. 2018, 6) or sowing "division" (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 7) or "discord" (AA 1 Jan. 2019) in the nation (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 7; AA 1 Jan. 2019; HRW Feb. 2018, 6).
Sources indicate that a law criminalizing discrimination, adopted in January 2018, may be used against human rights defenders or anti-slavery activists in Mauritania (UNPO 16 Apr. 2020; Amnesty International 2018, 6, 7). According to Amnesty International, certain provisions of the law, such as Article 10, which "punishes anyone who 'promotes inflammatory speech that is contrary to the official doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania'" with prison sentences, "could be used against the activists who speak out about groups which perpetuate the practice of slavery in Mauritania" (Amnesty International 2018, 6-7).
UNPO reports the case of an IRA Mauritania leader who was detained by Mauritanian authorities in April 2020 for having criticized the Mauritanian government on social media, according to the IRA (UNPO 16 Apr. 2020).
According to the same source,
This might be an example of how the law passed on 18 January 2018 to fight discrimination and criminalise hate speech[ ]could be instrumentalised to justify the conviction and repression [of] human rights defenders, a concern that [was] raised by three [UN] [s]pecial rapporteurs (David Kaye, Michel Forst and Tenday[i] Achiume) on 24 January 2018. (UNPO 16 Apr. 2020)
2.3 Repression
Sources report that the Mauritanian government has employed a [HRW English version] "repressive policy" towards Biram Dah Abeid and the IRA (HRW Feb. 2018, 6) or that the IRA and its leader have "been subject to repression" (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 7). According to the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index 2020 (BTI 2020), "Haratin activists who become too vocal in the eyes of the government are repressed by security forces" (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 28).
Sources report that in February 2018, IRA protests lasting three days in Nouakchott were ["violently" ACLED 2 Mar. 2018)] dispersed by police (ACLED 2 Mar. 2018; Jeune Afrique 21 Feb. 2018). According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Biram Dah Abeid's wife and other prominent leaders were injured during the events (ACLED 2 Mar. 2018). According to sources, on 8 October 2018 IRA activists who gathered in front of the National Assembly to protest the detention of their leader were attacked by police, and 9 to 12 of them, including Biram Dah Abeid's wife, had to be taken to the hospital (Front Line Defenders [2019]; Au secours des Haratines 10 Oct. 2018). On 29 October 2018, according to the Canadian security services company Garda World, security forces "violently dispersed" a protest in Nouakchott by IRA supporters to demand the release of Biram Dah Abeid (Garda World 2 Nov. 2018).
2.4 Arrests and Detentions
2.4.1 Biram Dah Abeid
Sources report that the president of the IRA, Biram Dah Abeid, was detained multiple times by Mauritanian authorities (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 7; IDN 20 Feb. 2020) between 2010 and 2018 (IDN 20 Feb. 2020). Sources report that he was arrested by the authorities in August 2018 (RWCHR [Jan. 2019]; UNPO 7 Aug. 2018). According to some sources, he was arrested in connection with allegations of hate speech (Garda World 2 Nov. 2018) or [Front Line Defenders English version] "'insurrection to violence and threats to people's lives'" (Front Line Defenders [2019]). Other sources state that he was accused of threatening a journalist (HRW 17 Jan. 2019; AFP 31 Dec. 2018). According to IRA Mauritania, this arrest was meant to prevent the IRA-Sawab coalition from taking part in the elections (IRA Mauritanie 10 Aug. 2018). Similarly, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) [7] states that the purpose of this arrest was to "prohibit [Biram dah Abeid's] participation in the September parliamentary elections, in which Biram was running as an anti-slavery, opposition candidate" (RWCHR, [Jan. 2019]). Biram Dah Abeid was released on 31 December 2018 (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 7; HRW 17 Jan. 2019) or 1 January 2019 (Front Line Defenders [2019]).
Sources report that in 2019 dialogue began between the new Mauritanian President, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and Biram Dah Abeid (RFI 2 Oct. 2019; Jeune Afrique 4 Aug. 2019). According to Jeune Afrique magazine, Biram Dah Abeid became the president's sole point of contact in the opposition (Jeune Afrique 4 Aug. 2019).
2.4.2 Leaders, Supporters and Members
The BTI 2020 reports that the Mauritanian authorities have arrested IRA leaders (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 10). HRW noted in February 2018 that [HRW English version] "[t]he courts ha[d] twice imprisoned IRA leaders since 2015 in unfair trials" and that "two members [were] serving prison terms" at the time the report was written (HRW Feb. 2018, 6). Sources report that the last 2 of the 13 IRA supporters arrested in 2016 were released in 2018 (HRW 17 Jan. 2019; Freedom Now 2018, 2).
Sources report that the Sawab/IRA Coalition's campaign manager was arrested in Ksar on 24 June 2019 and released on 2 July 2019 (MRG 15 July 2019; Amnesty International 2019, 36). According to Amnesty International, ten IRA activists were arrested in late June; four were sentenced to three months in prison, and all were released in November (Amnesty International 2019, 36). HRW reports that a journalist ally of the IRA was arrested in Nouakchott on 26 June 2019 (HRW 23 July 2019). The same source also notes that multiple IRA supporters or members were arrested in July 2019 for, among other things, [HRW English version] "forming a crowd" illegally, committing "vandalism," and "disturbing the peace" or "resisting security forces": one activist was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison by the court of Kaédi on 9 July, fewer than seven activists were sentenced in Nouakchott to six months in prison on 11 July, and eight members were prosecuted by the court of Kaédi on 16 July and alleged that they had been mistreated by the police (HRW 23 July 2019).
3. Canadian Chapter
Information on a Canadian chapter of the IRA was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
On its website, IRA Mauritania lists "Canada" among its chapters but does not provide contact information or names of representatives (IRA Mauritanie n.d.). In a press release published on the same site in August 2017, Kadiata Ba is listed as an IRA Mauritania activist in Canada (IRA Mauritanie 1 Aug. 2017). Meanwhile, articles dated May 2017 and November 2018 refer to Kadiata Ba as the president of IRA-Canada (IRA Mauritanie 10 Nov. 2018; IRA Mauritanie [May 2017]).
However, the IRA Mauritania press release issued in August 2017 indicates that during a visit to Canada in June 2017, Biram Dah Abeid stated that [translation] "it is a matter of urgency that IRA-Canada is established to clarify the current situation and promote our expansion on the Canadian subcontinent" (IRA Mauritanie 1 Aug. 2017). The press release adds that it was decided by the IRA Mauritania Executive Office that [translation] "the organization named IRA Mauritania - Canadian Chapter (Section IRA Mauritanie au Canada, SIMC) does not represent IRA Mauritania and therefore may not bear its name, speak on its behalf, or represent it in any forum or before any governmental or non-governmental institution" (IRA Mauritanie 1 Aug. 2017). On 2 December 2018, however, IRA-Canada appears among the signatories of a press release issued by IRA Mauritania on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (IRA Mauritanie 2 Dec. 2018). On 7 December 2018, Elhadj Fall, a staff member and spokesperson for Biram Dah Abeid in the 2019 presidential elections, mentioned Canada as one of the countries where the IRA is established (IRA Mauritanie 7 Dec. 2018). On 18 December 2018, in a statement published on the organization's website, IRA Mauritania's Secretary for External Relations, who is in charge of communication, lists IRA-Canada as one of the [translation] "official and recognized chapters [of IRA Mauritania] around the world" (IRA Mauritanie 18 Dec. 2018).
IRA Mauritania publications report an official visit by Biram Dah Abeid to Canada [in May and June 2017 (IRA Mauritanie 1 Aug. 2017)], during which he [participated in a [translation] "march for humanity and the prevention of genocide in Canada" (IRA Mauritanie [May 2017])] and [in the 375th anniversary celebrations in Montréal (IRA Mauritanie [Sept. 2018])]. Two articles published on the IRA Mauritania website report that Irwin Cotler, former Canadian Minister of Justice, was a legal advisor to Biram Dah Abeid (IRA Mauritanie 10 Nov. 2018; IRA Mauritanie [Sept. 2018]). The RWCHR, according to a text published on IRA Mauritania, [translation] "has taken on the case and cause of Biram Dah Abeid as part of its international project to defend political prisoners" (IRA Mauritanie [Sept. 2018]).
4. US Chapter
Information on a US section of the IRA was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
The IRA Mauritania website lists "USA" among its chapters but does not provide contact information or names of representatives (IRA Mauritanie n.d.). A Facebook page by the name of IRA-United States was created on 1 July 2014 (IRA-United States n.d.). A website called "ira-usa.org" exists online, but only some of its pages were accessible when consulted for the purpose of responding to this Information Request (IRA-USA 4 June 2018). A letter from IRA Mauritania dated 2 December 2018 counts [translation] "IRA-USA in Columbus, New York and Philadelphia" among its signatories (IRA Mauritanie 2 Dec. 2018). Among the pages accessible on the IRA-USA website is an article published on 4 June 2018, which reports a break between IRA-USA and IRA Mauritania following the alliance between Sawab and IRA Mauritania: "The recent decision of Biram Dah Abeid to create an alliance with Sawab, a Baathist political party in Mauritania, now compels IRA-USA to make clear that IRA-USA is a separate and independent organization without official ties to Mr. Abeid and IRA-Mauritanie" (IRA-USA 4 June 2018).
Nevertheless, on a page published on its website, IRA-USA signs, along with other organizations, a petition in October 2018 to demand a fair trial for Biram Dah Abeid (IRA-USA 16 Oct. 2018). In December 2018, Elhadj Fall, spokesperson for Biram Dah Abeid, lists the US as one of the countries where the IRA is established (IRA Mauritanie 7 Dec. 2018) and IRA Mauritania named IRA-USA as one of the [translation] "official and recognized chapters" of the IRA around the world (IRA Mauritanie 18 Dec. 2018).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Notes
[1] Haratins are descendants of slaves who, despite the fact that slavery has been banned in Mauritania [since 1981], continue to be enslaved and marginalized in Mauritanian society (MRG Apr. 2018).
[2] The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization is a membership-based international organization that aims to give a voice to and protect the human rights of unrepresented and marginalized peoples around the world (UNPO n.d.).
[3] InDepthNews (IDN) is "the [f]lagship [a]gency of the [n]on-[p]rofit International Press Syndicate" and "a platform for journalists, analysts, and experts informing and stimulating thinking on issues that impact our future in an increasingly interdependent world" (IDN n.d.).
[4] Inside Arabia is a news analysis magazine on the Middle East and North Africa that aims to inform the American public about these realities (Inside Arabia n.d.).
[5] The RAG party is also sometimes called [translation] "Radical for Global Action" (Radical pour une action globale) (Le Calame, 14 June 2018), and sometimes [translation] "Rally for Global Action" (Rassemblement pour une action globale) (CRIDEM 9 July 2020).
[6] Front Line Defenders, based in Ireland, is an organization that works to protect human rights defenders (Front Line Defenders n.d.).
[7] The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) is [RWCHR English version] "a unique international consortium of parliamentarians, ... human rights defenders, NGOs and students united in the pursuit of justice" based in Montréal (RWCHR n.d.).
References
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Voice of America (VOA). 31 July 2018. "Ex-Slave Seeks Office in Mauritania to Fight for Freedom." [Accessed 10 Nov. 2020]
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: La Croix; ecoi.net; Euractiv; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; Freedom House; The Guardian; International Crisis Group; Libération; La Libre; UN – Refworld; US – Department of State; Le Vif.