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Mauritania is ramping up efforts to stamp out slavery. The country abolished the practice more than thirty years ago and slavery has been outlawed since 2012. However thousands of Mauritanians are still alleged to be trapped in slavery. The Global Slavery Index puts the number at 4% to 20% of the entire population, which is at least 150 thousand people. The government has progressively cracked down on slavery and  recently brought  in a 10-year jail terms to those found guilty of engaging or aiding slavery.