On March 25, 2026, a historic step was taken at the United Nations headquarters. At the initiative of Ghana , the General Assembly adopted a resolution classifying the racialized trafficking and slavery of Africans as "the most serious crime against humanity" .

Although symbolic, this text—approved by 123 states —highlights the roots of contemporary inequalities. For the UN Secretary-General, this recognition is essential to combating neocolonialism and the structural discrimination that still affects the descendants of victims.

A divided diplomatic front

Despite the moral significance of the text, the vote revealed deep divisions within the international community:

1. The opponents: The United States, Israel, and Argentina voted against it. Washington justified its position by calling the text "highly problematic," notably rejecting any legal framework that would allow for financial reparations for acts that were not illegal at the time they were committed.
2. Abstentions: 52 countries, including members of the European Union and the United Kingdom, chose not to decide.
3. The argument of "memory competition": France, through its representative Sylvain Fournel, expressed the fear that this text would put different historical tragedies in competition, while affirming that it refused "forgetting and erasure".

The case of Mauritania: A scourge that defies the law

While the UN examines the past, the reality of slavery remains a burning issue, particularly in Mauritania. Although the country officially abolished this practice on November 9, 1981 , its complete eradication still seems a long way off.

A legal arsenal in the face of a tenacious tradition

To compensate for the ineffectiveness of the 1981 abolition, the Mauritanian government toughened its stance in 2007 by adopting a law criminalizing slavery. However, the results remain bleak:

"Despite the adoption of several laws criminalizing this practice, Arab-Muslim slavery still persists in Mauritania," says Guy Samuel Nyoumsi , author of the book The Silent Tragedy of Slavery in Mauritania .

The facts in brief:

1. Transatlantic line: The number of victims over four centuries is estimated at more than 15 million .
2. Current situation: More than 40 years after its official abolition, Mauritania still reports cases of domestic slavery or forced labor.
3. Legal scope: Unlike the Security Council, UN General Assembly resolutions are not binding , but they exert political and moral pressure on the States concerned.

The persistence of these practices in Mauritania is a reminder that the fight against slavery is not won only in international forums, but also through strict application of the law on the ground.