A/HRC/26/49/Add.1 relegated them to the fringes of society since before the country’s independence, thus fuelling frustrations and anger.2 The Special Rapporteur met with members of some of the affected groups, who clearly expressed a high level of frustration related to the Government’s failure to effectively address the conditions which perpetuate discrimination and marginalization. 6. The Haratine are thought to constitute the largest ethnic group in Mauritania and the most politically and economically marginalized in what remains a society deeply stratified by ethnicity, descent, castes and class. The word Haratine is derived from the Arabic word for freedom, as they are perceived by the rest of society as freed slaves. 7. Despite some visible progress, the Haratine are said to be the most disenfranchised community and suffer from discrimination, marginalization and exclusion due to their descent. Approximately 50 per cent of the Haratine community are in conditions of de facto slavery through domestic servitude and bonded or forced labour.3 The Haratine remain marginalized and underrepresented in political and public positions. In 2013, it was reported that out of 95 seats in the National Assembly, only 5 were held by Haratine; and out of the 56 senators only 1 was Haratine. Moreover, only 2 out of 13 regional governors and 3 of the 53 regional prefects were Haratine. f, Haratine are said to account for the largest share of the total illiterate population, a majority of Haratine have not completed primary education and they constitute only 5 per cent of those enrolled in higher education. A large majority of dockers, domestic workers and labourers performing unskilled and lowpaid jobs are Haratine, whereas very few Haratine occupy high-ranking civil servants and senior executive offices in the public and private sectors Haratine also claime that they have been excluded from the business and banking sectors, as commercial enterprises are usually headed by non-Haratine. 8. Similar discriminatory practices affect, to varying degrees, the other AfroMauritanian communities, especially the Wolof minority. 9. The Moors are divided into many different tribes stratified in castes by profession, such as blacksmith, religious leader, and warrior, inter alia. The Special Rapporteur was informed that relations among the different castes are very hierarchical and give rise to the exclusion and marginalization of certain castes, such as that of blacksmiths, in favour of others. Access to certain functions, activities and responsibilities is therefore closely linked to caste identity and marriages are highly codified according to descent. For example, the Special Rapporteur met with members of the blacksmith caste, who reported that 90 per cent are involved in business and retailing, that only 5 per cent are primary school teachers and that their sons cannot marry girls from other castes. Although some of the AfroMauritanian ethnic groups are not divided into castes, they too are very hierarchically organized and relations among the various subgroups are highly influenced by descent. 10. The Special Rapporteur noted that Mauritanian society is highly stratified along ethnic and caste lines, with de facto slaves and descendants of slaves assigned the lowest status, which is passed down through the generations. This stratification, which has historical roots, fuels latent tensions and conflicts which at times turn violent. The visit of the Special Rapporteur was timely in this regard as it took place a few months after ethnically tinged violent incidents erupted in Kaedi, the largest city and administrative 2 3 4 Rapport de la société civile sur la mise en œuvre du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques (PIDCP) (October 2013). Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and Initiative de Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste en Mauritanie, alternative report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee at the 107th session during the consideration of the first periodic report of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (February 2013).