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Sanctions:
November 28, 2011 - The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab
member states), of which this country is a member, has approved
imposing sanctions on Syria. These include: -
* Cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank
* Halting funding by Arab governments for projects in Syria
* A ban on senior Syrian officials travelling to other Arab countries
* A freeze on assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's
government
The declaration also calls on Arab central banks to monitor
transfers to Syria, with the exception of remittances from Syrians
abroad.
For further information, click here
The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab member states), of which
this country is a member, has boycotted Israel in a systematic
effort to isolate Israel economically in support of the Palestinians,
however, the implementation of the boycott has varied over time
among member states..
There are three tiers to the boycott. The primary boycott prohibits
the importation of Israeli-origin goods and services into boycotting
countries. The secondary boycott prohibits individuals, as well as
private and public sector firms and organizations, in member
countries from engaging in business with any entity that does
business in Israel. The Arab League maintains a blacklist of such
firms. The tertiary boycott prohibits any
entity in a member country from doing business with a company or
individual that has business dealings with U.S. or other firms on
the Arab League blacklist.
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists:
Information unavailable.
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report - 2011
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has a largely informal and
under-developed economy. Its economic system suffers from a
combination of weak government oversight, lax financial auditing
standards, a large informal trade sector, porous borders, lack of
enforcement, and corruption in government and the private
sector. In recent years, Mauritania has become a transshipment
point for cocaine from South America intended for the European
market. General smuggling, trafficking in vehicles stolen mostly in
Europe, parallel networks, and the provision of logistical support
for organized international drug traffickers are all serious
problems. The instability that followed the August 6, 2008 coup d’
état made the country more vulnerable to informal and illegal
economic activity. However, following the 2009 election, the
Government of Mauritania embarked upon an aggressive
campaign against corruption and the terrorist network of Al-
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The Office of the Inspector
General of the State and the Financial Analysis Committee
(CANIF) have been empowered to lead efforts to identify, prevent
and reduce corrupt practices and financial crimes, including
financial crimes linked to narcotics and terrorist finance networks.
DO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ENGAGE IN CURRENCY
TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
TRAFFICKING THAT INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF US
CURRENCY; CURRENCY DERIVED FROM ILLEGAL SALES IN
THE U.S.; OR THAT OTHERWISE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE
U.S.: NO
CRIMINALIZATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING:
“All serious crimes” approach or “list” approach to predicate
crimes: All serious crimes
Legal persons covered: criminally: YES civilly: YES
CRIMINALIZATION OF TERRORIST FINANCING:
Ability to freeze terrorist assets without delay: YES
UN lists of designated terrorists or terrorist entities distributed to
financial institutions: YES
(Please refer to the Department of State’s Country Reports on
Terrorism, which can be found here: http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls.
crt/)
KNOW-YOUR-CUSTOMER RULES:
Covered entities: Banks
Enhanced due diligence procedures for PEPs: Foreign: NO
Domestic: YES
SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
Covered entities: Banks, formal money exchanges, remittance
offices
Number of STRs received and time frame: Five from 2005-2010
Number of CTRs received and time frame: Not available
MONEY LAUNDERING CRIMINAL
PROSECUTIONS/CONVICTIONS:
Prosecutions: Five – timeframe is not available
Convictions: Not available
Assets forfeited: criminally: Approximately $2.2 million - 2005 and
2010 civilly: Not available
RECORDS EXCHANGE MECHANISM:
With U.S.: NO
With other governments/jurisdictions: YES
Mauritania is a member of the Middle East and North Africa
Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), a FATF-style regional
body. It’s most recent mutual evaluation can be found here: http:
//www.menafatf.
org/images/UploadFiles/MutulalEvaluationReportMauritaniaEng.
pdf
ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND
COMMENTS:
While Mauritania has been successful in creating a legal and
institutional framework to fight financial crimes, there remain many
challenges to successfully implement these initiatives in an
informal economy. Monitoring informal financial markets also
remains a challenge. Only seven percent of Mauritanian adults
have bank accounts, and informal banking and financial systems
remain vulnerable to exploitation. Mauritanian authorities are
aware of these issues and are working to formalize financial
transactions to the extent possible and to devise mechanisms to
prevent the exploitation of the informal financial system.
Mauritania’s financial intelligence unit (CANIF) is the office with
direct responsibility for oversight of criminal activity in the financial
sector. Although CANIF has existed since 2005, due to political
instability, it was not truly functional until 2009. Given that CANIF
is such a young organization, and has only recently become
operational, there is still a great deal of work to be done to
formalize its operating procedures.
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2012 (introduction):
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a small and under-developed
country, suffers from a combination of weak government
oversight, lax financial auditing standards, a large informal trade
sector, porous borders, and corruption in government and the
private sector. Following the election of President Mohamed Ould
Abdel Aziz in July 2009 and increasing terrorist and illicit
trafficking activities along the long and porous borders with
Algeria and Mali, the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania (GIRM) began an aggressive campaign against
corruption and the terrorist network of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM).
There is little, if any, domestic production of drugs in Mauritania.
Mauritania’s location makes it an attractive destination for drugs
coming via air from South America or via land after arriving at sea
ports in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The
Mauritanian economy is based almost entirely on informal trade,
therefore detecting and combating drug trafficking in Mauritania is
extremely difficult.
Consumption of drugs in Mauritania is not common. There is
occasional use of drugs among the class of Mauritanians with the
means available to purchase them, but there are concerns that
consumption could increase, following a pattern in other transit
countries, if larger quantities of drugs transit through Mauritania.
The GIRM enacted its anti-money laundering and terrorist
financing law (2005-0048) on July 27, 2005 and updated it in
2009. However, these laws have not been fully implemented. Drug
traffickers and elements of AQIM often operate in the same
isolated areas of Mauritania. Presently, there is evidence that the
recent increase in the Mauritanian military presence along the
borders with Algeria and Mali limited the ability of drug traffickers
to easily cross Mauritanian borders. Local media reported that, in
December 2010, the Mauritanian army successfully attacked a
convoy of drug traffickers escorted by AQIM along the border with
Mali. Many traffickers were killed and some of them were arrested
by the Mauritanian army.
Mauritania has two offices primarily responsible for combating the
traffic of drugs: The Police Office to Combat Trafficking in Illicit
and Psychotropic Substances (POCTIPS), established in 2005,
and “La Commission d’Analyse des Informations Financieres”
(CANIF), established in 2005 but began operations in 2008, which
is the equivalent of a financial intelligence unit. Both organizations
have received funding and technical assistance from the
international community. From November 28-December 4, 2010,
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) held an
Advanced Counter-Financing of Terrorism Financial Regulatory
training course at the FDIC Training Facilities in Arlington, Virginia,
attended by Four CANIF employees. This training helped them
improve their abilities to combat terrorism financing through illicit
trafficking.
According to the director of the POCTIPS, the GIRM arrested 174
individuals on drug trafficking charges between January and
October 2011. Also during this timeframe, Mauritania seized more
than 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, 638 kg of cannabis, 33 kg of
cannabis resin, more than $8,000 in cash, five cars, one truck
and one boat during 82 different counternarcotics operations.
Earlier, in 2010, the GIRM arrested 309 traffickers, and seized 31
kg of cocaine, 1.125 tons of cannabis, 10.345 tons of cannabis
resin, more than $43,000 in cash, 38 cars and two trucks. The
director of POCTIPS assesses that the decreases from 2010 to
2011 are a result of the GIRM’s aggressive campaign against illicit
trafficking.
In July 2011, 36 accused drug traffickers were tried. Among them
32 were acquitted and four were sentenced to 15 years in prison,
but were eventually acquitted by the Criminal Court. The Supreme
Court subsequently overruled these decisions, annulled the
acquittals, and fired several judges who were in charge of this
case. Three judges fled Mauritania before the GIRM publicly
announced the decision, suggesting the possibility that corrupt
payments might have affected their decision.
Mauritania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Mauritania
is also a party to the UN Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime and the UN Convention Against Corruption.
There currently is no extradition treaty or mutual legal assistance
treaty between the United States and Mauritania. Notably,
Mauritania does not provide formal mutual legal assistance in the
absence of a bilateral treaty.
For Full report, click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2011
(introduction):
(Tier 3)
Mauritania is a source and destination country for men, women,
and children subjected to conditions of forced labor and sex
trafficking. Women, men, and children from traditional slave
castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in
ancestral master-slave relationships. Reliable data on the total
number of slaves do not exist, but according to the estimate of a
respected Mauritanian NGO, slavery may affect up to 20 percent
of the population, in both rural and urban settings. Held for
generations by slave-holding families, they are forced to work
without pay as cattle herders and domestic servants. Boys from
within Mauritania and other West African countries – referred to as
talibes – who are recruited to study at Koranic schools, are
subsequently subjected to forced begging by some religious
teachers, known as marabouts. Mauritanian girls, as well as girls
from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African
countries, are forced into domestic servitude. Mauritanian women
and girls are forced into prostitution in the country or transported
to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose, and men
from Middle Eastern countries used legally contracted “temporary
marriages” as a means to sexually exploit young girls and women
in Mauritania.
The Government of Mauritania does not fully comply with the
minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
making significant efforts to do so. The government acknowledges
that some forms of trafficking are a problem in the country, and
during the year, it created a multi-stakeholder body to lead its
efforts related to child trafficking, child smuggling, and child labor.
Hereditary slavery was officially outlawed in 2007, but many
officials do not recognize that the practice continues despite its
prohibition, and instead apply the phrase “the consequences of
slavery” to address the problem. There is no legal precedent to
prove a case of slavery in court; civil society representatives
believe the slavery law is nonoperational in practice. During the
year, however, the government arrested – following significant
pressure from civil society groups and a violent protest – an
alleged slave-master and convicted her of the separate crime of
child exploitation, signaling what some observers believe to be a
new willingness, albeit tenuous, to punish trafficking offenders
using other criminal statutes. The offender spent 12 days in
prison before filing an appeal that led to her acquittal, while an
anti-slavery activist spent one month in prison for his role in the
events before receiving a presidential pardon. The government
did not take proactive measures to identify trafficking victims or
provide them with protective services, and it continued to jail
individuals in prostitution and detain illegal migrants without
screening either population for trafficking victims.
For full report click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Overview: The Government of Mauritania launched military
operations against al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) camps
in northern Mali in July and September and continued to
strengthen its security forces' capacity and improve border
security. It also continued arresting terrorism suspects, including
those involved in targeting Westerners.
2010 Terrorist Incidents: After suffering from an unprecedented
wave of kidnappings and terrorist attacks in 2009, Mauritania
registered one suicide car bombing in 2010. On August 25, a car
bomb drove through a checkpoint and exploded at the entrance
of military barracks in Nema, 1200 kilometers east of Nouakchott.
The driver died instantly and three soldiers were wounded. AQIM
claimed responsibility for the attack in an August 31 Internet press
release. This was the second suicide attack in Mauritania; the first
attempt took place in August 2009 outside the French Embassy.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In May, the largest terrorism
trials in Mauritania’s history took place. Fifty-six terrorist suspects
received sentences ranging from fines and imprisonment to the
death penalty in the case of the 2007 murders of four French
nationals who were shot in the southern city of Aleg.
The Mauritanian government took steps to improve border
security through plans to build 10 new border posts. The Ministry
of the Interior was also establishing a program to produce secure
national identity documents.
Countering Terrorist Finance: A new counterterrorism law enacted
in July replaced the existing legislation and outlawed terrorist
financing in all its forms. Mauritania has a Financial Intelligence
Unit called "CANIF," under the Mauritanian Central Bank, which is
in charge of investigating financial crimes, including terrorist
financing. Mauritania is a member of the Middle East and North
Africa Financial Action Task Force.
Regional and International Cooperation: Mauritania cooperated
with U.S. counterterrorism efforts and is a Trans-Sahara
Counterterrorism Partnership country. In March, Algeria, Burkina
Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania gathered in Algeria
and issued a joint statement rejecting ransom payments. In
September, Mauritania participated in a meeting gathering sub-
regional chiefs of staff in Algeria to coordinate efforts to counter
terrorism in the Sahel. On September 30, along with Mali, Niger,
and Algeria, Mauritania participated in the establishment of a Joint
Command Center in Tamanrasset, Algeria, that once fully
operational will allow the four countries to coordinate regional
responses to AQIM activities. On October 10, Mauritania
participated in the Syrta meeting to coordinate counterterrorism
efforts in the Sahel. Mauritania, which recalled its Ambassador to
Bamako in February following Mali's release of four terrorist
suspects, restarted cooperation with Mali in September, and had
joint patrols in northern Mali in December.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: The
Government of Mauritania adopted a series of measures to
counter radicalization and violent extremism. The government
conducted a census of mosques, opened a Quranic radio station,
and featured television and radio programs emphasizing
moderation in Islam. The government favored a conciliatory
approach towards extremists willing to renounce violence. It
sponsored a dialogue between moderate imams and imprisoned
extremists in January leading to the repentance of 57 individuals,
52 of whom received Presidential pardons during the Muslim
holidays of Eid-el Fitr and Eid-el Adha. A national dialogue on
terrorism and extremism was held in October, and the
Government of Mauritania organized conferences and
roundtables regarding moderation in Islam and gathered key
decision makers in the government, civil society, and among
religious authorities to decide on a common strategy. At year’s
end, the Mauritanian government was planning reinsertion
programs for repentant extremists.
____________________________________________________
Links:
Worldwide AML Legislation (International Bar Association)
November 28, 2011 - The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab
member states), of which this country is a member, has approved
imposing sanctions on Syria. These include: -
* Cutting off transactions with the Syrian central bank
* Halting funding by Arab governments for projects in Syria
* A ban on senior Syrian officials travelling to other Arab countries
* A freeze on assets related to President Bashar al-Assad's
government
The declaration also calls on Arab central banks to monitor
transfers to Syria, with the exception of remittances from Syrians
abroad.
For further information, click here
The Arab League (comprising 22 Arab member states), of which
this country is a member, has boycotted Israel in a systematic
effort to isolate Israel economically in support of the Palestinians,
however, the implementation of the boycott has varied over time
among member states..
There are three tiers to the boycott. The primary boycott prohibits
the importation of Israeli-origin goods and services into boycotting
countries. The secondary boycott prohibits individuals, as well as
private and public sector firms and organizations, in member
countries from engaging in business with any entity that does
business in Israel. The Arab League maintains a blacklist of such
firms. The tertiary boycott prohibits any
entity in a member country from doing business with a company or
individual that has business dealings with U.S. or other firms on
the Arab League blacklist.
____________________________________________________
Offshore Jurisdiction Blacklists:
Information unavailable.
____________________________________________________
US State Department Money Laundering Report - 2011
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has a largely informal and
under-developed economy. Its economic system suffers from a
combination of weak government oversight, lax financial auditing
standards, a large informal trade sector, porous borders, lack of
enforcement, and corruption in government and the private
sector. In recent years, Mauritania has become a transshipment
point for cocaine from South America intended for the European
market. General smuggling, trafficking in vehicles stolen mostly in
Europe, parallel networks, and the provision of logistical support
for organized international drug traffickers are all serious
problems. The instability that followed the August 6, 2008 coup d’
état made the country more vulnerable to informal and illegal
economic activity. However, following the 2009 election, the
Government of Mauritania embarked upon an aggressive
campaign against corruption and the terrorist network of Al-
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The Office of the Inspector
General of the State and the Financial Analysis Committee
(CANIF) have been empowered to lead efforts to identify, prevent
and reduce corrupt practices and financial crimes, including
financial crimes linked to narcotics and terrorist finance networks.
DO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ENGAGE IN CURRENCY
TRANSACTIONS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS
TRAFFICKING THAT INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF US
CURRENCY; CURRENCY DERIVED FROM ILLEGAL SALES IN
THE U.S.; OR THAT OTHERWISE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE
U.S.: NO
CRIMINALIZATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING:
“All serious crimes” approach or “list” approach to predicate
crimes: All serious crimes
Legal persons covered: criminally: YES civilly: YES
CRIMINALIZATION OF TERRORIST FINANCING:
Ability to freeze terrorist assets without delay: YES
UN lists of designated terrorists or terrorist entities distributed to
financial institutions: YES
(Please refer to the Department of State’s Country Reports on
Terrorism, which can be found here: http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls.
crt/)
KNOW-YOUR-CUSTOMER RULES:
Covered entities: Banks
Enhanced due diligence procedures for PEPs: Foreign: NO
Domestic: YES
SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
Covered entities: Banks, formal money exchanges, remittance
offices
Number of STRs received and time frame: Five from 2005-2010
Number of CTRs received and time frame: Not available
MONEY LAUNDERING CRIMINAL
PROSECUTIONS/CONVICTIONS:
Prosecutions: Five – timeframe is not available
Convictions: Not available
Assets forfeited: criminally: Approximately $2.2 million - 2005 and
2010 civilly: Not available
RECORDS EXCHANGE MECHANISM:
With U.S.: NO
With other governments/jurisdictions: YES
Mauritania is a member of the Middle East and North Africa
Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), a FATF-style regional
body. It’s most recent mutual evaluation can be found here: http:
//www.menafatf.
org/images/UploadFiles/MutulalEvaluationReportMauritaniaEng.
ENFORCEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES AND
COMMENTS:
While Mauritania has been successful in creating a legal and
institutional framework to fight financial crimes, there remain many
challenges to successfully implement these initiatives in an
informal economy. Monitoring informal financial markets also
remains a challenge. Only seven percent of Mauritanian adults
have bank accounts, and informal banking and financial systems
remain vulnerable to exploitation. Mauritanian authorities are
aware of these issues and are working to formalize financial
transactions to the extent possible and to devise mechanisms to
prevent the exploitation of the informal financial system.
Mauritania’s financial intelligence unit (CANIF) is the office with
direct responsibility for oversight of criminal activity in the financial
sector. Although CANIF has existed since 2005, due to political
instability, it was not truly functional until 2009. Given that CANIF
is such a young organization, and has only recently become
operational, there is still a great deal of work to be done to
formalize its operating procedures.
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Narcotics Report 2012 (introduction):
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a small and under-developed
country, suffers from a combination of weak government
oversight, lax financial auditing standards, a large informal trade
sector, porous borders, and corruption in government and the
private sector. Following the election of President Mohamed Ould
Abdel Aziz in July 2009 and increasing terrorist and illicit
trafficking activities along the long and porous borders with
Algeria and Mali, the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania (GIRM) began an aggressive campaign against
corruption and the terrorist network of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM).
There is little, if any, domestic production of drugs in Mauritania.
Mauritania’s location makes it an attractive destination for drugs
coming via air from South America or via land after arriving at sea
ports in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. The
Mauritanian economy is based almost entirely on informal trade,
therefore detecting and combating drug trafficking in Mauritania is
extremely difficult.
Consumption of drugs in Mauritania is not common. There is
occasional use of drugs among the class of Mauritanians with the
means available to purchase them, but there are concerns that
consumption could increase, following a pattern in other transit
countries, if larger quantities of drugs transit through Mauritania.
The GIRM enacted its anti-money laundering and terrorist
financing law (2005-0048) on July 27, 2005 and updated it in
2009. However, these laws have not been fully implemented. Drug
traffickers and elements of AQIM often operate in the same
isolated areas of Mauritania. Presently, there is evidence that the
recent increase in the Mauritanian military presence along the
borders with Algeria and Mali limited the ability of drug traffickers
to easily cross Mauritanian borders. Local media reported that, in
December 2010, the Mauritanian army successfully attacked a
convoy of drug traffickers escorted by AQIM along the border with
Mali. Many traffickers were killed and some of them were arrested
by the Mauritanian army.
Mauritania has two offices primarily responsible for combating the
traffic of drugs: The Police Office to Combat Trafficking in Illicit
and Psychotropic Substances (POCTIPS), established in 2005,
and “La Commission d’Analyse des Informations Financieres”
(CANIF), established in 2005 but began operations in 2008, which
is the equivalent of a financial intelligence unit. Both organizations
have received funding and technical assistance from the
international community. From November 28-December 4, 2010,
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) held an
Advanced Counter-Financing of Terrorism Financial Regulatory
training course at the FDIC Training Facilities in Arlington, Virginia,
attended by Four CANIF employees. This training helped them
improve their abilities to combat terrorism financing through illicit
trafficking.
According to the director of the POCTIPS, the GIRM arrested 174
individuals on drug trafficking charges between January and
October 2011. Also during this timeframe, Mauritania seized more
than 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, 638 kg of cannabis, 33 kg of
cannabis resin, more than $8,000 in cash, five cars, one truck
and one boat during 82 different counternarcotics operations.
Earlier, in 2010, the GIRM arrested 309 traffickers, and seized 31
kg of cocaine, 1.125 tons of cannabis, 10.345 tons of cannabis
resin, more than $43,000 in cash, 38 cars and two trucks. The
director of POCTIPS assesses that the decreases from 2010 to
2011 are a result of the GIRM’s aggressive campaign against illicit
trafficking.
In July 2011, 36 accused drug traffickers were tried. Among them
32 were acquitted and four were sentenced to 15 years in prison,
but were eventually acquitted by the Criminal Court. The Supreme
Court subsequently overruled these decisions, annulled the
acquittals, and fired several judges who were in charge of this
case. Three judges fled Mauritania before the GIRM publicly
announced the decision, suggesting the possibility that corrupt
payments might have affected their decision.
Mauritania is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Mauritania
is also a party to the UN Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime and the UN Convention Against Corruption.
There currently is no extradition treaty or mutual legal assistance
treaty between the United States and Mauritania. Notably,
Mauritania does not provide formal mutual legal assistance in the
absence of a bilateral treaty.
For Full report, click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report 2011
(introduction):
(Tier 3)
Mauritania is a source and destination country for men, women,
and children subjected to conditions of forced labor and sex
trafficking. Women, men, and children from traditional slave
castes are subjected to slavery-related practices rooted in
ancestral master-slave relationships. Reliable data on the total
number of slaves do not exist, but according to the estimate of a
respected Mauritanian NGO, slavery may affect up to 20 percent
of the population, in both rural and urban settings. Held for
generations by slave-holding families, they are forced to work
without pay as cattle herders and domestic servants. Boys from
within Mauritania and other West African countries – referred to as
talibes – who are recruited to study at Koranic schools, are
subsequently subjected to forced begging by some religious
teachers, known as marabouts. Mauritanian girls, as well as girls
from Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, and other West African
countries, are forced into domestic servitude. Mauritanian women
and girls are forced into prostitution in the country or transported
to countries in the Middle East for the same purpose, and men
from Middle Eastern countries used legally contracted “temporary
marriages” as a means to sexually exploit young girls and women
in Mauritania.
The Government of Mauritania does not fully comply with the
minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not
making significant efforts to do so. The government acknowledges
that some forms of trafficking are a problem in the country, and
during the year, it created a multi-stakeholder body to lead its
efforts related to child trafficking, child smuggling, and child labor.
Hereditary slavery was officially outlawed in 2007, but many
officials do not recognize that the practice continues despite its
prohibition, and instead apply the phrase “the consequences of
slavery” to address the problem. There is no legal precedent to
prove a case of slavery in court; civil society representatives
believe the slavery law is nonoperational in practice. During the
year, however, the government arrested – following significant
pressure from civil society groups and a violent protest – an
alleged slave-master and convicted her of the separate crime of
child exploitation, signaling what some observers believe to be a
new willingness, albeit tenuous, to punish trafficking offenders
using other criminal statutes. The offender spent 12 days in
prison before filing an appeal that led to her acquittal, while an
anti-slavery activist spent one month in prison for his role in the
events before receiving a presidential pardon. The government
did not take proactive measures to identify trafficking victims or
provide them with protective services, and it continued to jail
individuals in prostitution and detain illegal migrants without
screening either population for trafficking victims.
For full report click here
____________________________________________________
US State Dept Terrorism Report 2010
Overview: The Government of Mauritania launched military
operations against al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) camps
in northern Mali in July and September and continued to
strengthen its security forces' capacity and improve border
security. It also continued arresting terrorism suspects, including
those involved in targeting Westerners.
2010 Terrorist Incidents: After suffering from an unprecedented
wave of kidnappings and terrorist attacks in 2009, Mauritania
registered one suicide car bombing in 2010. On August 25, a car
bomb drove through a checkpoint and exploded at the entrance
of military barracks in Nema, 1200 kilometers east of Nouakchott.
The driver died instantly and three soldiers were wounded. AQIM
claimed responsibility for the attack in an August 31 Internet press
release. This was the second suicide attack in Mauritania; the first
attempt took place in August 2009 outside the French Embassy.
Legislation and Law Enforcement: In May, the largest terrorism
trials in Mauritania’s history took place. Fifty-six terrorist suspects
received sentences ranging from fines and imprisonment to the
death penalty in the case of the 2007 murders of four French
nationals who were shot in the southern city of Aleg.
The Mauritanian government took steps to improve border
security through plans to build 10 new border posts. The Ministry
of the Interior was also establishing a program to produce secure
national identity documents.
Countering Terrorist Finance: A new counterterrorism law enacted
in July replaced the existing legislation and outlawed terrorist
financing in all its forms. Mauritania has a Financial Intelligence
Unit called "CANIF," under the Mauritanian Central Bank, which is
in charge of investigating financial crimes, including terrorist
financing. Mauritania is a member of the Middle East and North
Africa Financial Action Task Force.
Regional and International Cooperation: Mauritania cooperated
with U.S. counterterrorism efforts and is a Trans-Sahara
Counterterrorism Partnership country. In March, Algeria, Burkina
Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania gathered in Algeria
and issued a joint statement rejecting ransom payments. In
September, Mauritania participated in a meeting gathering sub-
regional chiefs of staff in Algeria to coordinate efforts to counter
terrorism in the Sahel. On September 30, along with Mali, Niger,
and Algeria, Mauritania participated in the establishment of a Joint
Command Center in Tamanrasset, Algeria, that once fully
operational will allow the four countries to coordinate regional
responses to AQIM activities. On October 10, Mauritania
participated in the Syrta meeting to coordinate counterterrorism
efforts in the Sahel. Mauritania, which recalled its Ambassador to
Bamako in February following Mali's release of four terrorist
suspects, restarted cooperation with Mali in September, and had
joint patrols in northern Mali in December.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: The
Government of Mauritania adopted a series of measures to
counter radicalization and violent extremism. The government
conducted a census of mosques, opened a Quranic radio station,
and featured television and radio programs emphasizing
moderation in Islam. The government favored a conciliatory
approach towards extremists willing to renounce violence. It
sponsored a dialogue between moderate imams and imprisoned
extremists in January leading to the repentance of 57 individuals,
52 of whom received Presidential pardons during the Muslim
holidays of Eid-el Fitr and Eid-el Adha. A national dialogue on
terrorism and extremism was held in October, and the
Government of Mauritania organized conferences and
roundtables regarding moderation in Islam and gathered key
decision makers in the government, civil society, and among
religious authorities to decide on a common strategy. At year’s
end, the Mauritanian government was planning reinsertion
programs for repentant extremists.
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Links:
Worldwide AML Legislation (International Bar Association)
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*Please note that FATF deems that a country has significant aml deficiencies if any
of the 'Core' Recommendations, R1, R5, R10, R13, SRII, or SRIV are rated either
Partially of Non-Compliant. These are marked in red.
For FATF to remove a country from the regular follow-up process, it has to be rated
Compliant or Largely Compliant in the above mentioned Core Recommendations
and the following Key Recommendations: -
R3, R4, R23, R26, R35, R36, R40, SRI, SRIII, SRV
Please also note that any risk assessment should take into consideration all
follow-up reports.
of the 'Core' Recommendations, R1, R5, R10, R13, SRII, or SRIV are rated either
Partially of Non-Compliant. These are marked in red.
For FATF to remove a country from the regular follow-up process, it has to be rated
Compliant or Largely Compliant in the above mentioned Core Recommendations
and the following Key Recommendations: -
R3, R4, R23, R26, R35, R36, R40, SRI, SRIII, SRV
Please also note that any risk assessment should take into consideration all
follow-up reports.
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| MAURITANIA |
| KnowYourCountry |
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| Last Updated: 16 April 2012 |