El Mina is a suburb of

Nouakchott Nouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Once a ...

and urban commune in western

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

. It has a population of 181,640 (2023 census). El Mina has a bad reputation in Mauritania. It is considered one of the poorest parts of the city and is known for its

prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...

. It is mainly inhabited by the descendants of slaves. The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance visited El Mina in 2008.

Red-light district

Hundreds of women work in the

brothels A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe t ...

of El Mina. Many are foreign, including from

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

and

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. Although prostitution is illegal in Mauritania, there is little enforcement of the law. Sex worker report police corruption and harassment.

References

Communes of Mauritania Nouakchott Red-light districts {{Mauritania-geo-stub