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Slavery Continues in Africa

November 9, 2007

Though rarely discussed, slavery still deeply affects the lives of many Africans. Considering the available resources and advances in technology, this is a shocking and devastating reality for the 21st century. Many are familiar with the issue of child slavery, which consists of mainly children kidnapped from their families and forced to be soldiers in the violence plaguing many regions in Africa. In addition to this, alternative forms of slavery continue to exist as well. Chattel slavery plagues countless other Africans and refers to any situation in which people are traded as their master’s possessions. This type of slavery, as opposed to debt bondage or sex slavery, is typically based on race alone. In the African country of Mauritania for example, black Africans are held as slaves to lighter skinned Arab-Berbers [1].

It is estimated that 90,000 Africans are held as slaves in Mauritania alone. The country has made multiple efforts to outlaw slavery; the latest being a law passed in 2003 promising fines or jail time to any slave owners [2]. In Niger the number of slaves is estimated at 43,000 – this is eight percent of the country’s population. The practice of slavery was outlawed in the country in 2004, although the continued ownership of former slaves was never officially addressed [3]. In Sudan the violent genocide and high number of missing or assumed dead makes slavery statistics difficult to come by. However, there are countless testimonies of refugees concerning the slave raids on villages that persist in the region. These raids involve the burning of huts and mass killings of villagers, along with the abduction of children and young people who are then forced into slavery.

Many experts point to the backbreaking labor, long hours for no pay, and the enslavement of children born to those held as slaves as perpetuation of the problem. Work typically centers on household chores and tending to cattle or camels, beginning before dawn and ending far into the night. One former Mauritanian slave described physical restraint – being tied up with rope – to ensure that she would not be able to escape. She was only allowed out of the restraints during the time it took to complete her assigned chores [4].

Simon Deng and Francis Bok are both former Sudanese slaves who were abducted as children and kept as slaves for years until escaping bondage. They now live in the United States and speak out about their experiences in public forums and also through their published memoirs. In an interview with Satya , Mr. Deng describes the horrors of a child slave in Sudan: “I was shown a picture of a human being with no arms and no legs. I was told if I run away, they will capture me…and I will look exactly like the picture. As a child of nine years, I was so terrified. After being beaten so badly I believed the threat was real” [5].

Slavery persists in Africa despite its illegality. Legislation exists in Mauritania, Niger and Sudan, but it is clearly ineffective considering the high number of people still held in slavery today. Though slave owners could be punished with a fine or a prison sentence, they are seldom prosecuted. High levels of violence make it easier to mask daily abductions.

One of the largest underlying reasons for these problems is ineffective government institutions. It is imperative that African governments develop independent and well functioning judiciary systems in order to enforce anti-slavery laws that are already in place. The IIJD firmly advocates infrastructure reform as a key to social development in Africa. Until there is sufficient reform and governments enforce laws pertaining to slavery, human beings will continue to be enslaved illegally. This enslavement further perpetuates inequality, human rights violations, and poverty in the region.

As one BBC journalist writes, “Ending slavery… would require a social revolution” [6]. The IIJD believes that social revolution is possible, starting with institutional reform. The first step to this reform is the acknowledgement that slavery still exists in modern societies. Though this perilous situation is obvious to many, local leaders often deny that these types of human rights violations frequently occur [7]. After the problem has been acknowledged, laws must be reviewed in order to ensure that they are completely comprehensive on the issue. Many of the problems in law enforcement stem from the fact that recent anti-slavery laws may prohibit slave trade, but do not actually force slave owners to free their subjects. Because of this, slavery continues down generations as children born to slaves remain under their master’s control. It is important that the international community takes a strong role in ensuring that enforcement of anti-slavery laws takes place. A final consideration to be addressed is the issue of compensation to former slaves, in order to set them up for their newly independent lives. Former Sudanese slave Mr. Francis Bok makes a resounding final point asking, "What good is my freedom if my brothers and sisters around the world are still not free?" [8]

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