Since General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz’s junta seized power in August last year, fears are growing that long overthrown traditions are being resurrected in the West African country of Mauritania. One such tradition is leblouh, the practice of force-feeding young girls for marriage. Campaigners say the fate of thousands of young girls in rural Mauritania is endangered. Women’s rights campaigners, such as Aminetou Mint Ely report of girls as young as five being subjected to force-feeding. 

Leblouh goes back to an ancient tradition, rooted in the belief that “a woman’s size indicates the amount of space she occupies in her husband’s heart,” said Mint Ely. The tradition is also linked to early marriage, since girls are expected to have female corpulence and roundness in order to get married off as early as ten.

In the period after Mauritania gained its independence from France in 1960, much educational campaigning was done. These campaigning efforts seemed to have tangible effects, to the extent that many middle-class Mauritanians, among a population estimated at three million, claim the practice of force-feeding no longer exists. “Until the military coup last year, we had made strides. Ten years ago we ran information campaigns about the dangers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The government even commissioned ballads condemning fattening” says Aminetou Mint Ely.

Fatima M’baye, a children’s rights lawyer, echoes Ely’s pessimism. “I have never managed to bring a case in defence of a force-fed child. The politicians are scared of questioning their own traditions. Rural marriages usually take place under customary law or are overseen by a marabou (a Muslim preacher). No state official gets involved, so there is no arbiter to check on the age of the bride.” This is the case even though Mauritania has signed both international and African treaties on the protection of children.

Girls in rural areas are especially endangered, because access to information is very limited. Girls are often taken for leblouh at special “fattening farms” during the summer holidays. A typical diet for a 6 year-old would consist of two kilos of pounded millet, mixed with two cups of butter, as well as 20 litres of camel’s milk. M’baye says “The girl is sent away from home without understanding why. She suffers but is told that being fat will bring her happiness. Matrons use sticks which they roll on the girl’s thighs, to break down tissue and hasten the process.”

Other leblouh practices include a subtle form of torture - zayar - using two sticks inserted each side of a toe. When a child refuses to drink or eat, the matron squeezes the sticks together, causing great pain. A successful fattening process will see a 12-year-old weigh 80kg. “If she vomits she must drink it. By the age of 15 she will look 30,” said M’baye. With their obesity, numerous health issues arise, from diabetes to heart problems.