Slavery in Sudan
Encyclopedia
Slavery in Sudan began in ancient times, and has continued to the present day. During the Arab slave trade
, many Black-Sudanese were purchased as slaves and brought for work in the Middle East.
Since 1995, many human rights organizations have reported on contemporary practice, especially in the context of the Second Sudanese civil war
. Both the government-backed militias and the rebels (led by the SPLA) have been found guilty of abducting civilians, according a 2002 report issued by the International Eminent Persons Group, acting with the encouragement of the US State Department. According to the Rift Valley Institute's Sudan Abductee Database, over 11,000 people were abducted in 20 years of slave-raiding in southern Sudan.
The Sudanese government has claimed that the slavery is the product of inter-tribal warfare, over which it had no control. Human Rights Watch
, rejects this and states that the government is involved in backing and arming numerous militias in the country. It has also found the government has failed to enforce Sudanese laws against kidnapping, assault and forced labor. Police rarely help victims' families in locating their children. While the Sudan Criminal Code of 1991 does not list slavery as a crime, Sudan has ratified the Slavery Convention, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, and is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR).
However, many Christian and non-Christian groups, have stated that the situation suffers from inaccurate reporting and that slave numbers are sometimes exaggerated and many slave stories have been fabricated. Italian missionary, Father Mario Riva and others who have witnessed "slave redemptions" have claimed that the process was a fraud as some of the "freed slaves" were collected by the SPLA with the promise of receiving money.
in the Sudan
has a long history, beginning in ancient Egyptian times and continuing up to the present.
Prisoners of war were regularly enslaved by the ancient Egyptians, including Nubians.http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/slavery.htm
Soon after the Arab
s conquered Egypt
, they attempted to conquer Nubia
; their efforts were unsuccessful, and in 652 they signed a treaty with the Nubian kingdom of Makuria
, the Baqt. Under this treaty, the Nubians agreed to supply 360 slaves annually to their northern neighbors.
After the Nubian kingdoms' fall in 1504, the Funj came to the fore; these began to use slaves in the army in the reign of Badi III
(r. 1692-1711)http://www.san.beck.org/1-13-Africa1500-1800.html#2. Following their own fall, the area again became a field for Egyptian slavers; notably, the ruler Muhammad Ali of Egypt
attempted to build up an army of Southern Sudanese slaves. Slavery was banned by the colonial British after they conquered the region.
first reported on slavery in Sudan in the context of the Second Sudanese Civil War
. In 1996, two more reports emerged, one by a United Nations representative and another by reporters from the Baltimore Sun.
The president of Christian Solidarity International
, John Eibner, argues that the Arab-Muslim state of Sudan started reviving modern-day slavery
starting in the mid-1980s. He claims that this slavery is a result of a jihad led by the state against the non-Muslim population.http://www.meforum.org/article/449
According to CBS news, slaves have been sold for $50 apiece. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/01/25/world/main29927.shtml
Writing for The Wall Street Journal
on December 12, 2001, Michael Rubin said:
The issue was the subject of a Channel 4
dramatised documentary, I Am Slave in August 2010, in which none of these religious conflicts were highlighted.
, many groups in the United States have expressed concern about slavery and religious oppression in Sudan, putting pressure on the Bush administration
to take action.http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/04/us.sudan/index.html Many charities have gone further and started to "redeem" slaves, by purchasing them from slave traders and, supposedly, setting them free. In 1999, UNICEF called the practice of redeeming slaves 'intolerable', arguing that these charities are implicitly accepting that human beings can be bought and sold.
UNICEF also said that buying slaves from slave-traders gives them cash to purchase arms and ammunition. But Christian Solidarity said they purchase slaves in Sudanese pounds, not dollars, which could be used to purchase arms.
The Report of a Canadian Assessment Mission, which was published in February, 2007, was drafted by the Canadian Special Envoy to Sudan, John Harker:
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
states that while early trips of slave redemption, where charities bought the freedom of slaves, were successful in freeing thousands of slaves, later trips fell through because of fraud
. CSW representatives say they discovered a man who was defrauding organizations that were trying to redeem slaves, and later a man came to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army and confessed to having a part in defrauding these organizations. According to CSW, Dr. Samson Kwaje says he doubts that even 5% of the supposedly freed people were in fact slaves, and that many were instructed in how to act and what stories to tell. Eventually, according to CSW, many slaves were released for free, putting cons out of business. As a result of the fraud, CSW has suspended its "slave redemption program" indefinitely.
The European Sudanese Puplic Affairs Council has questioned whether the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army is a reliable source for determining the existence of slavery calling them an "authoritarian organisation".
Also, Jim Jacobson, spokesman for Christian Freedom International
, said:
Human Rights Watch says that:
Nevertheless, the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan denies that there is slavery in Sudan, saying that these reports are attempts to shed a bad light on Muslims and Arabs, and that slave redemption programs are fraudulent attempts to make money. According to the Embassy of Sudan, there are documented instances of people, who were not slaves, being gathered together and instructed to pretend they were being released from slavery.
Arab slave trade
The Arab slave trade was the practice of slavery in the Arab World, mainly Western Asia, North Africa, East Africa and certain parts of Europe during their period of domination by Arab leaders. The trade was focused on the slave markets of the Middle East and North Africa...
, many Black-Sudanese were purchased as slaves and brought for work in the Middle East.
Since 1995, many human rights organizations have reported on contemporary practice, especially in the context of the Second Sudanese civil war
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
. Both the government-backed militias and the rebels (led by the SPLA) have been found guilty of abducting civilians, according a 2002 report issued by the International Eminent Persons Group, acting with the encouragement of the US State Department. According to the Rift Valley Institute's Sudan Abductee Database, over 11,000 people were abducted in 20 years of slave-raiding in southern Sudan.
The Sudanese government has claimed that the slavery is the product of inter-tribal warfare, over which it had no control. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, rejects this and states that the government is involved in backing and arming numerous militias in the country. It has also found the government has failed to enforce Sudanese laws against kidnapping, assault and forced labor. Police rarely help victims' families in locating their children. While the Sudan Criminal Code of 1991 does not list slavery as a crime, Sudan has ratified the Slavery Convention, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, and is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
(ICCPR).
However, many Christian and non-Christian groups, have stated that the situation suffers from inaccurate reporting and that slave numbers are sometimes exaggerated and many slave stories have been fabricated. Italian missionary, Father Mario Riva and others who have witnessed "slave redemptions" have claimed that the process was a fraud as some of the "freed slaves" were collected by the SPLA with the promise of receiving money.
History of slavery in the Sudan
SlaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
has a long history, beginning in ancient Egyptian times and continuing up to the present.
Prisoners of war were regularly enslaved by the ancient Egyptians, including Nubians.http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/slavery.htm
Soon after the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s conquered Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, they attempted to conquer Nubia
Nubia
Nubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
; their efforts were unsuccessful, and in 652 they signed a treaty with the Nubian kingdom of Makuria
Makuria
The Kingdom of Makuria was a kingdom located in what is today Northern Sudan and Southern Egypt. It was one of a group of Nubian kingdoms that emerged during the decline of the Aksumite Empire, which it had been part of from approximately 4BC to AD 950...
, the Baqt. Under this treaty, the Nubians agreed to supply 360 slaves annually to their northern neighbors.
After the Nubian kingdoms' fall in 1504, the Funj came to the fore; these began to use slaves in the army in the reign of Badi III
Badi III
Badi III, or Badi el Ahmar, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Sennar. James Bruce includes in his account of Ethiopia the translation of a letter the Ethiopian Emperor Tewolfos sent him dated 21 January 1706, wherein he addresses him as "king Badi, son of king Unsa".According to a manuscript history...
(r. 1692-1711)http://www.san.beck.org/1-13-Africa1500-1800.html#2. Following their own fall, the area again became a field for Egyptian slavers; notably, the ruler Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
attempted to build up an army of Southern Sudanese slaves. Slavery was banned by the colonial British after they conquered the region.
Modern day slavery
In 1995, Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
first reported on slavery in Sudan in the context of the Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
. In 1996, two more reports emerged, one by a United Nations representative and another by reporters from the Baltimore Sun.
The president of Christian Solidarity International
Christian Solidarity International
Christian Solidarity International is a Christian human rights NGO that is "committed to defending religious liberty, helping victims of religious repression, victimized children, and victims of disaster."...
, John Eibner, argues that the Arab-Muslim state of Sudan started reviving modern-day slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
starting in the mid-1980s. He claims that this slavery is a result of a jihad led by the state against the non-Muslim population.http://www.meforum.org/article/449
According to CBS news, slaves have been sold for $50 apiece. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/01/25/world/main29927.shtml
Writing for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
on December 12, 2001, Michael Rubin said:
The issue was the subject of a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
dramatised documentary, I Am Slave in August 2010, in which none of these religious conflicts were highlighted.
Charities and controversy
According to CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, many groups in the United States have expressed concern about slavery and religious oppression in Sudan, putting pressure on the Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
to take action.http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/04/us.sudan/index.html Many charities have gone further and started to "redeem" slaves, by purchasing them from slave traders and, supposedly, setting them free. In 1999, UNICEF called the practice of redeeming slaves 'intolerable', arguing that these charities are implicitly accepting that human beings can be bought and sold.
UNICEF also said that buying slaves from slave-traders gives them cash to purchase arms and ammunition. But Christian Solidarity said they purchase slaves in Sudanese pounds, not dollars, which could be used to purchase arms.
The Report of a Canadian Assessment Mission, which was published in February, 2007, was drafted by the Canadian Special Envoy to Sudan, John Harker:
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Christian Solidarity Worldwide is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all. Its current president is Jonathan Aitken, having taken over from Baroness Cox in 2006...
states that while early trips of slave redemption, where charities bought the freedom of slaves, were successful in freeing thousands of slaves, later trips fell through because of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. CSW representatives say they discovered a man who was defrauding organizations that were trying to redeem slaves, and later a man came to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army and confessed to having a part in defrauding these organizations. According to CSW, Dr. Samson Kwaje says he doubts that even 5% of the supposedly freed people were in fact slaves, and that many were instructed in how to act and what stories to tell. Eventually, according to CSW, many slaves were released for free, putting cons out of business. As a result of the fraud, CSW has suspended its "slave redemption program" indefinitely.
The European Sudanese Puplic Affairs Council has questioned whether the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army is a reliable source for determining the existence of slavery calling them an "authoritarian organisation".
Also, Jim Jacobson, spokesman for Christian Freedom International
Christian Freedom International
Christian Freedom International is an American human rights organization based in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, whose stated mission is to "help those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ." CFI operates as a 501 nonprofit organization and relies on voluntary, private support from...
, said:
Human Rights Watch says that:
Nevertheless, the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan denies that there is slavery in Sudan, saying that these reports are attempts to shed a bad light on Muslims and Arabs, and that slave redemption programs are fraudulent attempts to make money. According to the Embassy of Sudan, there are documented instances of people, who were not slaves, being gathered together and instructed to pretend they were being released from slavery.
See also
- Slavery in modern AfricaSlavery in modern AfricaSlavery in Africa continues today. Slavery existed in Africa before the arrival of the Atlantic slave trade, as did an internal African slave trade and an Arab slave trade...
- Mende NazerMende NazerMende Nazer is a British author and human rights activist. For eight years, she was a slave in Sudan and in London.-Abduction:Nazer is a Nuba from a village in the Nuba mountains of Sudan. At the age of twelve or thirteen , she was abducted and sold into slavery in Sudan following a slaving raid...
- Francis BokFrancis BokFrancis Piol Bol Bok , a Dinka tribesman and native of South Sudan, was a slave for ten years but is now an abolitionist and author living in the United States. On May 15, 1986, he was captured and enslaved at age seven during an Arab militia raid on the village of Nymlal in South Sudan during the...
- Human rights in SudanHuman rights in SudanSome human rights organizations have documented a variety of abuses and atrocities carried out by the Sudanese government over the past several years...
- Slavery and Islam
External links
- Arab Slave Trade in Sudan
- State Department - Report of the International Eminent Persons Group
- HRW report
- Civil Rights Leaders Criticized for Silence on Sudan Slavery
- 'My Career Redeeming Slaves' by John Eibner, Middle East QuarterlyMiddle East QuarterlyMiddle East Quarterly is a peer reviewed quarterly journal, a publication of the American conservative think tank Middle East Forum founded by Daniel Pipes in 1994. It is devoted to subjects relating to the Middle East and Islam and analyzes the region "explicitly from the viewpoint of American...
, December 1999