coups, a fractious relationship between white and black Mauritanians, challenges with terrorism conflicts have left the country unstable and fractured along ethnic lines which pose great challenges to the ability of the State to fulfill its obligations under the African Charter and continues to affect the enjoyment of human rights by citizens of Mauritania. 110. The CPTA delegation noted that there are huge problems relating to poverty, slavery, arbitrary arrest and detention; torture; cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, insecurity, juvenile justice, due process, law and order structures, prisons and detention facilities that fall below the minimum acceptable standards, lengthy pre-trial detention and violence against students. It is also clear that challenges regarding the inability of the judiciary to uphold human rights standards, constitutional guarantees and legal procedure partly because of shortages of trained judicial personnel are preventing the enjoyment of human rights. It also notes that human rights violations also resulted from structural shortcomings and are linked to shortcomings in State institutions. 111. The CPTA nevertheless wants to emphasize that the State bears the primary responsibility for ensuring respect to the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian laws, protecting the lives of its citizens and ensuring security in its territory. Positive Aspects i. The CPTA appreciates the invitation extended to it by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. This invitation is proof of the Government’s willingness to cooperate with the African Commission in addressing some of the challenges that Mauritania faces on issues that fall within the purview of the mandate of the CPTA. ii. The CPTA also appreciates the spirit of transparency and cooperation which the authorities demonstrated during the visit. Throughout the visit, the delegation enjoyed the full cooperation of the authorities with whom it met and was able to visit the places of detention it wanted to visit and talk with the detainees it wanted to talk to. From the meetings that the delegation had with various authorities, it could be discerned that there is a genuine political will to address issues and concerns raised by the delegation. Many officials admitted the shortcomings and inadequacy of measures adopted to address the issues of concern to the delegation and expressed their willingness to consider and implement the recommendations ensuing from the visit. In this regard, the CPTA 35 | P a g e