CONFIDENTIAL
MAURITANIA
Report by HM Embassy, Dakar
General Observations
The situation in Mauritania is about average for an African one-party state. There have been some repressive actions in connection with the forcible occupation of ex- Spanish Sahara, where a large part of the indigenous popu- · lation has fled. The trend is static probably veering towards repression because of the influence of the Western Sahara dispute.
Right No.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
It is hard to gain an accurate idea at a distance and with total lack of information in the media of the extent of imprisonment without trial. But respect for justice has declined.
There is no torture in the full sense of the term, but we should be extremely surprised if there is no police brutality.
Vestigial forms of slavery are thought to exist in the most backward parts of the country.
Information is tightly controlled. The government press is totally uninformative.
(v)
The independence of the judiciary is fairly problematic.
(vi)
Such unions as exist are tightly under state control.
(vii)
In general, emigration is not restricted. However, large numbers
of Saharouis have fled rather than accept forcible integration of their land into Mauritania, and some bad marks seem called for.
CONFIDENTIAL
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