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Boubacar Ould Messaoud, a pioneering human rights activist who dedicated his life to ending slavery in Mauritania, passed away on Thursday in Nouakchott at the age of 80.
Born into a family of slaves, Messaoud transformed his personal history into a lifelong mission, founding the NGO SOS Esclaves in 1995.
His organisation worked tirelessly for a decade without official recognition until finally gaining legal status in 2005, focusing on both the eradication of the practice and the social reintegration of those freed from it.
A Soviet-trained architect by profession, Messaoud was a central figure in Mauritania’s political and social struggle.
He joined the anti-slavery El Hor movement in 1975 and later co-founded the Action for Change party.
His activism often made him a target of the state; he faced multiple arrests during the 1980s and 1990s and was dismissed from his role as director general of a public housing company in 1991 due to his political commitments.
Despite the official abolition of slavery in 1981 and the introduction of harsher penalties in 2015, the practice continues to impact the country.
Messaoud’s unwavering courage earned him prestigious international and national honours, including the Officer of the National Order of Merit in 2023, France’s Human Rights Prize, and the Anti-Slavery International Award.
His death marks the end of an era for the movement he helped build.
