Mauritania's parliament has passed a law making slavery a criminal offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The move comes after years of lobbying by rights groups in the Saharan Islamic state.
Although banned by decree since 1981, rights groups say hundreds of thousands of Mauritanians are still enslaved, the highest proportion in a population anywhere in the world.
Herding camels or goats in the sun-blasted dunes of the Sahara, or serving hot mint tea to guests in the richly carpeted villas of the capital Nouakchott, slaves are passed on as family chattels from generation to generation.
The new law allows for sentences of up to 10 years for those owning slaves, as well as lesser jail terms and fines for local officials found to be turning a blind eye. It also provides for reparations for the victims of slavery.
