Civil society groups in Mauritania have urged urgent government action on femicide after the death of a young woman in Nouakchott.
A police patrol discovered the body of Fatimata Hamady Ba on the outskirts of the capital between April 18 and 19.
Her death has ignited a wave of anger online in the conservative Islamic republic, where gender violence remains deeply divisive.
Authorities say the exact circumstances remain unclear as investigations continue into what led to the young woman’s death.
A police source told AFP the victim “was neither raped nor killed,” and instead died from a drug overdose.
The source added she had taken drugs in the apartment of the main suspect now under investigation by authorities.
However, rights groups strongly rejected this account, calling her death a “brutal killing” marked by rape and murder.
The Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Girls’ Education said the case reflects a disturbing pattern of violence against women.
Human rights activist Elkory Sneiba urged the state to act decisively, warning of a growing wave of insecurity nationwide.
Lawmaker Khali Diallo expressed grief, linking the case to previous violent crimes against women recorded in recent years.
He also criticised delays in passing a civil society-backed law criminalising gender-based violence in parliament.
The so-called “karama” or dignity law has stalled for over three years amid disputes over Islamic legal compatibility.
Mauritania has faced repeated cases of brutal violence against women, including rape and murder incidents in past years.
In 2020, a woman was raped and killed in Tiguent, south of Nouakchott, deepening public concern over safety.
Between 2013 and 2017, multiple girls and women were raped and killed in cases marked by extreme brutality.
