On February 6, 2026, Mauritanian security forces violently dispersed a peaceful protest organised by members of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) in Nouakchott. The protest was held near the Dar Naïm juvenile police station to demand action in a reported case of child exploitation.
According to IRA president Biram Dah Abeid, in a phone interview with the Media Foundation for West Africa on February 23, the case began on January 30, 2026, when IRA members identified an 11-year-old girl, Nouhe Mint Mohamed, working as a domestic worker in Toujounine. Their inquiries indicated that the child was not attending school and was engaged in daily labour under exploitative conditions. IRA filed a complaint on February 4 before the special court on slavery, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling, but the suspects were released shortly after their arrest.
In response, IRA activists organised a peaceful protest on February 6 near the juvenile police station in Dar Naïm. The demonstration was dispersed by security forces using tear gas, batons, and tasers. Around ten protesters were arrested, including some individuals who had been hospitalised for injuries sustained during the protest crackdown and later taken into custody upon discharge.
On February 16, the special court dismissed the complaint from the IRA, citing insufficient evidence. On the same day, the prosecutor’s office accused IRA members of making false claims and using forged documents, prompting further arrests.
Among those detained were human rights defender and blogger Warda Ahmed Souleymane, Lemrabot Mahmoud, head of IRA’s office in Nouadhibou, and Abdallahi Abou Diop, head of the movement’s Human Rights Commission. Abdallahi Abou Diop, head of the Human Rights Commission within the IRA movement, was taken into custody at the Dar Naïm Juvenile Police Station on February 16, 2026.
Added to this list are the president of the Koumbi Saleh branch, Mohamed Vadel Eleyatt; and five militants: Lalla Vatima, Rachida Mint Saleck, Adama Ousmane Dramane, Brahim Moussa, and Bomba Yarba. The list has grown with the summons of General Coordinator El Id Ould El Hadj, Bounas Ahmed, coordinator of South Nouakchott, and Lemine Djiby, head of the human rights commission in Nouadhibou.
For over a year, members of the IRA movement have faced systemic repression by the authorities. Landmark cases, such as the sentencing of Ahmed Ould Samba, Ablaye Ba, and Warda Souleymane, point to a worrying narrowing of civic space.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned about the use of force against peaceful protesters and the subsequent arrests of the protestors. MFWA calls on the Mauritanian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. The organisation calls for the immediate release of those detained and urges authorities to ensure accountability for the use of force against protesters.
