You can be born a slave. Or, with a little luck, you can be born a master. In West African Mauritania, your social position is determined by the family you are born into. A centuries-old caste system determines your social position for life. Through inheritance, slaves remain in the possession of masters who exploit, sell or give them away as gifts, generation after generation.
Slavery has officially been abolished worldwide, including in Mauritania. However, it was not until 2007 that it became a criminal offence. Since then, slave owners have risked a prison sentence of between five and ten years. However, prosecutions are rare.
Journalist Maria Groot investigates why slavery persists in this forgotten desert country.
