Slavery in the Sudan

by Cathleen Mitchell

The slavery in the Sudan has returned as a result of the civil war. Muslim Arabs in the southern region of the Sudan raid Christian Dinka villages, stealing cattle and seizing land, taking many Dinka women and children as slaves as a secondary goal. The women and children are taken back to the villages of their captors and made to work predominantly as domestic servants. There are widespread reports about the cruel treatment these slaves receive.

The exact nature of the role of the Sudanese government in the slavery is unclear. At the very least, the Muslim Arab controlled government turns the other way and ignores a practice they are aware is continuing. At most, they may be indirectly or directly supporting the slave industry in the south. The government denies any involvement and argues that it is attempting to eradicate the practice. There is no evidence of this.

Slavery in the Sudan has received widespread international attention recently because of the practice of "slavery redemption", or buying back slaves. Many international groups, mostly Christian groups, have been raising money to buy Dinka women and children back from their owners. This practice has been debated both in human rights circles and in the international press. It does not, at the moment, appear to be putting an end to the practice of slavery.

The issue of slavery is a sensitive issue. And, while it seems simple enough as a concept, the driving forces behind it are complicated and difficult to fathom. Because slavery is really a by-product of the civil war and ethnic tensions in the Sudan, it is not productive to examine slavery out of the context in which it is occurring. And, to complicate matters further, it seems that every time the international community or international governments such as the United States government tries to intervene, the Sudanese government becomes more resistant to change. And, while it does not appear that slavery in the Sudan is close to coming to an end, the amount of attention and concern is encouraging.

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