Screenshot of an interview with Biram Dah Abeid, president of IRA-Mauritanie, on “Dakar Actualités.” Following June 29 clashes between angry residents and security forces during an operation to expel the inhabitants of a Ksar district slum, west of Mauritania's capital Nouakchott, several anti-slavery activists were arrested and their homes searched homes reportedly without a warrant. The activists, who belong to the organization IRA-Mauritanie (the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolition Movement in Mauritania) had been at the evictions protesting against slavery and in support of reform allowing everyone to own land. Mauritania was one of the last countries to officially abolish slavery, doing so in 1981, but the law isn't enforced. An estimated 10% to 20% of the country's 3.4 million people are enslaved. Mauritania is an Islamic republic, and distorted local interpretations of the religion are used to justify the continued existence of the practice — although the Mauritanian government denies that slavery exists and often blames the Western world or enemies of Islam when faced with allegations. The country is located in Western Northern Africa and is right at the border between the Maghreb region and Sub-Saharan Africa. There is a long and complicated history between Mauritania's ethnic groups; slaves mostly come from the black community. The evictions took place ahead of the 27th Arab League Summit, which the northwest African country is hosting. A post on the “Mauritanie de Facebook” page provided the details: Selon la version officielle, un terrain appartement à un homme d’affaires a été squatté par des centaines de familles de la communauté harratine, il y a de cela plusieurs décennies. Ce terrain était destiné à un complexe hôtelier. Le projet n’a jamais eu lieu, et le propriétaire a finalement morcelé ce vaste espace situé en face de l’hôpital Bouamatou qu’il aurait vendu en lopins de terres. Soucieux de présenter une image moins reluisante de la Mauritanie à quelques encablures d’un Sommet arabe extraordinaire, les autorités auraient décidé de faire déguerpir les familles installées. Un deal aurait ainsi été conclu aux termes duquel les habitants seront déplacés vers une zone périphérique de Nouakchott en contrepartie de lopins de terre qui leur seront attribués plus une compensation financière symbolique. Un montant de six millions d’ouguiiyas aurait été remis à des représentants des familles. Seulement, il semble qu’une partie d’entre elles n’étaient pas au courant au deal et n’a reçu ni compensation ni lopin de terre. Une autre version soutient que toutes les familles recensées dans le squat ont bénéficié des mêmes égards. According to the official version, decades ago, a plot of land belonging to a businessman was occupied by hundreds families from the Harratin community. This land was intended for a hotel resort. The project never took off, and in the end the owner broke up the vast holding across from the Bouamatou hospital into smaller plots which he sold off. Not willing to present such a dreadful picture of Mauritania before a major Arab summit, authorities decided to clear out the resident families. An agreement would have been reached whereby the residents were to be moved to a neighboring area of Nouakchott in return for plots of land and a symbolic financial compensation. Six million ouguiyas (about 16,700 US dollars) would have been handed over to representatives of the families. Only it seems that some of them were not aware of the deal and received no financial compensation or land. Another version states that all registered families received the same treatment. When authorities moved in to evict the families, they encountered resistance. Posting on news site kassataya.com, K.Salif described what unfolded: Considérée comme une provocation injuste, les occupants n’ont pas voulu se laisser faire, et l’affrontement avec les flics a été très rude. À l’image de plusieurs manifestants « résistants » très affectés, on se demandait comment et pourquoi dans un pays dit musulman, en plein mois de ramadan censé être « Paix ,Piété et Solidarité« , des pareils accrochages se passent entre l’ordre étatique et certains milieux sociaux modestes. Au lendemain de ces événements qui n’honorent personne finalement, la figure incarnant l’État en premier Ould Abdel Aziz, hier on apprenait l’arrestation illégale de monsieur Diop Amadou Tijane l’un des vice-présidents d’IRA-Mauritanie et d’autres militants . Considered to be an unjust provocation, residents refused to comply. The following confrontation with the cops was very tense.