Slavery has been an issue being battled with for a long time. Many believe that it has been abolished, however Sudan is a prime example about how the slave trade is still thriving.
By Marius Smits
Sitting on an old creaking chair in the front porch of his house, a physically deformed man rocks back and forth aimlessly. The man is silent, and the only sounds that can be heard are the high pitched squeaking of his chair, and the occasional loud sound of a vehicle racing by. In his head, a sense of sadness and un-belonging taunts him like ghosts. His skin covered in recently healed deep cuts, scarred by ill treatment, leaving him in peril as he has lost his childhood and manhood and is now unable to marry. His name is Majok, a Sudanese national, and he is a victim of slavery.
Slavery has always been and still is a thriving crime and an endless act of injustice. Since ancient times, the act of having total ownership over another human being as if it was an inanimate object has ruined and torn people apart. In war-torn and impoverished Sudan, slavery rose to and over its boiling point during and after the Sudanese civil war from the 1980’s to 2005. It is believed over 8000 people are living in slavery in Sudan at the moment 1, however this number was much higher, over 14000 people in the past, who were captured into the slavery market from the 1980’s to 2002. In the case of Majok, he was only a boy when he was forcefully torn away from his family and captured into slavery. What is left of his childhood memories has been cancelled out by the pain and suffering brought to him by his years as a slave.
Although men are usually seen to be stronger and more capable, slave traders also target women for reasons such as cooking, washing and other means of labour typically associated with women 2. However many unlucky victims, such as 40 year old Akec Kwol Kiir, was stolen at a young age and has suffered endlessly since. But it has not been the workload that tired and wore her out most, it was the emotional burden. Being subjected to rape by her masters and passing soldiers and forced to live in harsh conditions has taken its toll on her. “They treated us like cattle” said Kwol,” 3 who had faced unimaginable torture and mistreatment. She also had to submit to anything and everything her masters requested and ordered, as “they had the right to do anything they wanted to me” according to Kwol 4.
“I thought it would be better to die than to remain a slave” says Akuac Malong 5, a young girl of less than fifteen years of age whose life has been shattered by slavery. She had only recently been released from captivity together with another 132 other boys and girls, when a charitable organisation, the Christian Solidarity International Organisation paid an equivalent of US$13,200 to free them 6. Akuac had been “stolen” from her home seven years before, and had been suffering since. Enduring harsh treatment including being beaten, starvation and exposed to attempted brainwashing from her owner, Akuac still manages to smile, showing her resilience, however this is not always the case for all people who have lived in slavery.
Another major target of slave traders are children and the youth, who are easily manipulated and are seen to have lesser requirements 7. They are often seen to be mentally weaker, and are able to learn quickly and adapt to their new environments. This however has and is still taking its toll on the population, as being in slavery denies even the basic rights belonging to children, one of which is the right to education 8. As an effect, victims of slavery are not able to pursue their education and as a result, having their future potential restricted to low paying jobs and poverty. This is the case for Majok, who has had no or very limited exposure to a proper education. This has resulted in his current state, with no bright future and no opportunities for a rewarding and well-payed job.
Majok, now getting up and shuffling his feet along the floor, slowly inching toward the kitchen. As he looks through his bleak shelves, Majok catches glimpse of rotting vegetables, reminding him of his childhood life as a slave where all he had to eat were food that was almost inedible.
Children that have been brought into slavery are often handled inhumanely. A section of the book What is the What by Dave Eggers tells the story of a boy named Moses, who had been brought into slavery, before escaping. In his recount, he recalled that extremely hot metal rods had been used to mark him as his owner’s “property”, and had been transported by being tightly tied to horses or camels for the journeys. Moses said “I was put in a huge barn with all of these boys, and we were locked inside. There was no food. The barn was full of rats; everyone was being bitten by them” 9. Slaves were given little or no respect, in the sense where minimal food and lodging was provided, and was often of almost inedible and inhumane quality. Some owners however are much more extreme, often due to religious disputes between themselves and the slaves working for them.
Many Southern Sudanese traditionally follow the Christian faith, however when they are taken from their homes to the North, which is traditionally Muslim, the slaves are forced to submit to the Muslim faith. Santino Garang (Joseph), a former victim of slavery, was one such boy. “His desire to worship was mocked by his master, who told him every day for 10 years that he had no business worshipping since he was of no more value than a donkey,” 10 shows how his rights were stripped off him and caused him to literally suffer day and night. This eventually led to being crucified by his owner, as his owner believed that since he was so devoted to the Christian faith, he should be treated the way Jesus was treated. His owner then resorted to nailing Joseph to a wooden base and left him to die. However thanks to the kindness and sympathy shown from his owner’s son, who fed him and gave him water, and eventually brought him for medical attention. Still covered in scars and wounds, his owner has not been charged as it was technically his “right” as the owner of Joseph to do whatever he wanted under the Sharia Law 11.
Majok, now resting again in his creaking chair sits slowly nibbling away at his tasteless and bland meal rocks back and forth aimlessly. As he stares into the distance, he sees a flock of children run by to the village school quite far away. This freedom would have been unthinkable to him during his life in slavery, and still almost unbelievable to him now. His trail of thought eventually leads him to his escape from slavery not long ago, when an organisation fighting to end slavery in Sudan freed him, and brought him home to South Sudan.
At the moment, many NGO’s are trying the work with the Sudanese government to free slaves that are currently held in captivity, however the Sudanese government seems to not want to cooperate 12. The United States, among many sources also claim that the Sudanese government is actually supporting the slave trade 13, instead of working to abolish it. The Telegraph also states that the government is also trying to deliberately hinder efforts made by UNICEF and other organisations to free the slaves, in return for support from the Arab slave traders in the civil war 14. Together with this, the Khartoum government had agreed and promised to America and many other western countries that they would help free slaves, however this has not been fulfilled 15.
On the contrary, many armed men backed by the government have and still are kidnapping and forcefully taking children away from their homes in South Sudan and bringing them into the slave trade, often in the North, which amounts to many innocent civilians being captured each day 16. The Los Angeles Times states that the North aims to bring Islam and the Arabic language to the south, together with monopolising the southern economy through these acts in unjust 17. To those in need, this has hindered their road to recovery, as without the support and guidance, it makes the process of rehabilitation much harder.
Majok, now grown up, is still unable to live his life to the fullest. His daily routine being sleeping, eating and then sleeping again, shows the impact slavery has made on his life. Now, looking into the extravagant sunset behind a distant field of endless greenery, all Majok can see is a faint blur of sorrow. To be able to help Majok and all the other thousands of people affected by slavery, global support is needed. Organisations such as UNICEF work to free the slaves and educate the world about the issues happening in places like Sudan, but that’s not enough. Even the smallest of actions, such as spreading the word or donating to support groups like Anti-Slavery International (antislavery.org) can make a difference in the world. The thousands of people in Sudan and millions of others in other parts of the world need your help to lead a fulfilling life away from captivity. We can help them escape from the barns of farms and factories and land them in school where they belong, where they can begin the process of enriching their lives for a better future. All it takes is for us to spare a thought and lend a hand.
Footnotes:
1 "Thousands of Slaves in Sudan." BBC News. BBC, 28 May 2003. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2942964.stm>.
2 Hallam, Jennifer. "Men, Women, & Gender." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/history.html>.
3 03, May. "Fed by Civil War, Slave Trade Still Thrives in Sudan." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 May 1998. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/news/mn-45810>.
4 03, May. "Fed by Civil War, Slave Trade Still Thrives in Sudan." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 May 1998. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/news/mn-45810>.
5 03, May. "Fed by Civil War, Slave Trade Still Thrives in Sudan." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 May 1998. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/news/mn-45810>.
6 03, May. "Fed by Civil War, Slave Trade Still Thrives in Sudan." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 May 1998. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/news/mn-45810>.
7 "Child Slavery Becomes World's Third Popular Problem." English Pravda.ru. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/10-12-2012/123109-child_slavery-0/>.
8 "What Is Child Labour?" Anti-Slavery. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://www.antislavery.org/english/slavery_today/child_labour.aspx>.
9 Eggers, Dave. "Chapter 17." What Is the What. New York: Vintage, 2006. N. pag. Print.
10 "Sudan Slave "Crucified" by Master." WND. WND.com, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.wnd.com/2004/04/24061/>.
11 "Problems with Muslim Sharia Law." - Iron Chariots Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://wiki.ironchariots.org/index.php?title=Problems_with_Muslim_Sharia_Law>.
12 Smucker, Philip. "Sudan 'gives Green Light' for Slave Trade to Flourish Again." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 9 Apr. 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/1315706/Sudan-gives-green-light-for-slave-trade-to-flourish-again.html>.
13 Smucker, Philip. "Sudan 'gives Green Light' for Slave Trade to Flourish Again." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 9 Apr. 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/1315706/Sudan-gives-green-light-for-slave-trade-to-flourish-again.html>.
14 Smucker, Philip. "Sudan 'gives Green Light' for Slave Trade to Flourish Again." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 9 Apr. 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/1315706/Sudan-gives-green-light-for-slave-trade-to-flourish-again.html>.
15 Smucker, Philip. "Sudan 'gives Green Light' for Slave Trade to Flourish Again." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 9 Apr. 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/1315706/Sudan-gives-green-light-for-slave-trade-to-flourish-again.html>.
16 FoxNews.com. "In Sudan, Ancient and Evil Slave Trade Persists | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 11 July 2001. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,29292,00.html>.
17 03, May. "Fed by Civil War, Slave Trade Still Thrives in Sudan." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 May 1998. Web. 26 May 2013. <http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/news/mn-45810>.
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