Boubacar Ould Messaoud, a prominent Mauritanian human rights activist known for his lifelong fight against slavery, has died at the age of 80 in Nouakchott, according to a representative of his NGO.
Born into a family of slaves, Messaoud became one of the country’s leading voices against modern slavery. In 1995, he founded SOS Esclaves, an organization dedicated to eradicating slavery in Mauritania and supporting the social reintegration of former slaves.
The organization operated for nearly a decade without official recognition, reflecting the sensitivity of the issue in the country, before finally obtaining legal status in 2005.
Trained as an architect in the Soviet Union, Messaoud was also active in political movements and joined the Al Hor anti-slavery movement in 1975, which advocated for the rights and emancipation of formerly enslaved communities.
His commitment to human rights earned international and national recognition. In 2009, he received the Anti-Slavery International Award, and in 2023 he was decorated as an Officer of the National Order of Merit in Mauritania.
Messaoud is widely remembered as a pioneering figure in the struggle against slavery in Mauritania, a country where activists say vestiges of the practice still persist despite official abolition.
Source: TRT Africa
