Mauritania - Nouakchott

[mike hussey]

Nouakchott

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, February 17, 2005 [Edited]

Every night hundreds of women sell their bodies for sex in darkened brothels in El Mina, a poor district of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. For them it is a means of survival, but for others facilitating this illegal trade it is big business.

Prostitution and all activities relating to it are illegal in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Women caught selling their bodies for sex can be sent to jail for up to three years. It is even a crime to live with someone who is habitually involved in the trade.

Prosecutions are rare, but police harassment is constant.

The sex workers of El Mina say the police are more interested in extorting money from them than in enforcing the law.

Sex is sold at a flat rate of 1,000 Ougiya [US$3], but the women only get half the money. The rest goes to their brothel owner, or pimp.

[Link to full story]:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200502170606.html

[kevb38]

Well, Mike, I am ghoing to Gambis next week and going up to Senegal... did have a crazy idea to push on to Mauitania... but will give it a miss now... do you have any up to date news on West Africa???

I love travellinig as well as mongering, so I would love to tell everyone I went to Mauritania...which is the best hotel... just fro visiting.. not for whoring.

[blaccjacc]

This is an editorial from a Mauritian paper, done in the excruciating "African style" of journalism. I am trying to find the original article being alluded to in the publication, but no luck so far. It contains some useful bits in this severely underreported nation, as follows.

The “legal” brothel

The story we published on Monday about a brothel operating under the pretences of a striptease club, made interesting, if saucy reading. In fact, the number of reactions we have received regarding this particular feature was tellingly overwhelming.

But the point of the story was not to satisfy the curiosity of the peeping toms of this society. The initial point was to report on this “new” Mauritian society and the kind of activities that lure more and more people. Despite allegations that prostitution was taking place at the place in question, we were never in a position to affirm this. We now are.

What disturbs me about this whole business is neither the fact that women are stripping nor that they are prostituting themselves. As long its done out of free will, it’s their bodies, their business and their prerogatives. No, what bothers me is the fact that last I heard, prostitution was illegal in this country. This club is operating under some kind of obscure – and misleading – licence and is making a mockery of the laws in this country right under the noses of those employed to protect and uphold those same laws.

I refuse to believe even for one minute that the authorities are not aware of what’s going on behind the posh doors of the X club. Logic then tells me that they know and have decided to turn a blind eye to it. Much to the relief of many happy customers, I might add.

Let’s not be self-righteous about this; prostitution and other X-rated activities have existed and proliferated since time immemorial and Mauritius is certainly no exception to that which has caused and will cause the downfall of man – sex and money. No, we will never get rid of it and why should we? There’s clearly a demand for it and denying this would be sticking our hypocritical heads in the sand.

Seeing that the authorities will not shut down the place and will continue to plead ignorance, will we then consider legalising prostitution? Of course not! My, my! Could you just imagine the reactions of the goody-two-shoes of this country if such a suggestion was ever made? Can you imagine the reactions of the women MPs (especially the opposition) and that of Ajay Gunness and Alan Ganoo?

The Church might even get involved as will no doubt the virtuous Voice of Hindu and the Hizbullah and God knows who else. The MSM and its charismatic leader will organise a sit-in in front of parliament and Rajesh Bhagwan will find a way to hold Attorney General Rama Valayden responsible for it all. And there the debate will end, nipped in the bud, a bit like the aborted one on abortion.

No, why should we even consider legalising prostitution? Why do that and risk being labelled a pimp when it’s easier to pretend it doesn’t exist? Why promote respect for the law when we can make a farce of the notion of the rule of law ?

Why indeed.

But hang on a minute. Why ever not ? Surely some people have balls in this country?