Latest Bout of Political Arrests; Gov’t Offers Blood Money

Black Mauritanians have been arrested, tortured, and even killed for demanding full and equal treatment on land their families have called home for centuries. On December 9, at 1pm ET, ahead of International Human Rights Day, civil rights leaders and genocide survivors will provide an update on the state of Black Mauritanians’ civil rights.

The briefing will be useful for the media, and lawyers working on asylum cases.   

WHAT: Virtual briefing on apartheid in Mauritania today

WHEN: December 9, 1pm ET

WHO: Abdoulaye Sow, Houleye Thiam, and Zeinabou Sall, Mauritanian Network for Human Rights in US; Ibrahima Diallo, Progressive Forces of Change (Columbus Chapter); children of people killed in the Mauritanian genocide; and Lynn Tramonte, Ohio Immigrant Alliance (moderator)

HOW: Register at link

Background: This briefing comes on the heels of a new bout of political arrests of Black Mauritanians, as well as the government’s offer of “blood money” to genocide survivors. This is the first-ever admission by the Mauritanian government that mass murder did, in fact, occur — but a far cry from accountability and justice. 

Black Mauritanians still live in an apartheid state, where their languages and rights are repressed; their homes, land, and water access stolen. They are often rendered undocumented in their own country, and subjected to slavery, denial of equal opportunities, and police violence on a daily basis. 

Watch Houleye Thiam talk about these issues during the November 28, 2025 commemoration of the Inal Massacre (full video on YouTube and TikTok; excerpt on Instagram).