Fresh hope for slaves as Tuareg chief frees 7,000

March 05, 2005

<snip> She is a modern-day slave, bonded to her master, who rules a swath of northwestern Niger, a West African desert state classed by the UN in 2004 as the world’s second poorest country, with the highest birth- rate. Up to 870,000 of its population of 12 million are slaves.

But today 7,000 will be freed, at a dusty ceremony besieged by the wild harmattan winds 600km northwest of the capital Niamey. It is the first time since the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade that such a number of slaves will be voluntarily given up by their master, after a change in the law to make slavery punishable by a 30-year jail term. <snip>

“This is exceptional. No co-ordinated release or ceremony like this has ever happened where a single person let the 7,000 slaves under his control go free,” said Beth Herzfeld of Anti-Slavery International.

Slavery in Niger, a practice dating back centuries, was outlawed during independence from France in 1960, but the new constitution carried no penalty. Although the French had stamped out the trafficking and slave markets, they refused to class bonded workers as slaves, terming them “voluntary labourers” in a 1905 survey. Post-colonial administrations have until now turned a blind eye to the mass bondage of their people, most captured as the spoils of war, kidnapped or traded as dowry. <snip>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1511092,00.html


Beginning of the end for Niger slave trade

By Meera Selva in Nairobi
05 March 2005


Around 7,000 slaves are to be be granted their freedom in the Sahel desert in Niger today, in an unprecedented ceremony which will be attended by politicians, civil servants and human rights activists.

Anti-slavery organisations hope that the ceremony, which will take place in the Tillaberi region, in Niger's far west, will mark the beginning of the end of an ancient form of abuse in the country. Slavery is also practised in other Saharan countries such as Mauritania, Mali, Chad and Sudan.

According to the Anti-Slavery International organisation, up to 43,000 slaves in Niger perform gruelling work without pay and are routinely subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Activists hope that today's ceremony, which will be attended by slaves and their former masters, will trigger a series of similar events across the Saharan region. Slavery in Niger was outlawed in 1991 and last year a constitutional amendment made slave ownership punishable by 30 years in prison. But up until today, the new rules were largely ignored. In the country's desert regions, government officials in the city and local chiefs in the desert still consider slave ownership to be a symbol of status and wealth. <snip>

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=616978

Niger is obviously a place in need of freedom and democracy. I'm sure our noble president will get right on this problem because he is going to end this sort of abuse across the globe.

I'm sure the Marines are already on their way to Niger to free all the slaves there.

I sincerely hope that their circumstances as free men & women will be safe and sustainable.