Slavery in Niger

© Anti-Slavery International
Two survivors of slavery who escaped in 2001
© Anti-Slavery International
Asibit, a former slave in Niger
© Anti-Slavery International
Head of women's section in Tahoua, Niger

Niger is a large, landlocked West African country and one of the poorest nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population live below the poverty line and life expectancy is just 45 years. Two thirds of the land is desert and the climate is dry and harsh. Most people are engaged in farming and cattle rearing, and many are nomadic.

Slavery is part of Niger's history, and is found among different ethnic groups. In the past, people were bought and sold openly or kidnapped in raids or as the spoils of war, and their children were then born into slavery. While under French colonial rule, measures were taken to combat the more overt practices of slave trading and slave markets, but there was limited success in tackling the system of slavery itself. After gaining independence in 1960, the ruling elite, who included many from the slave-owning classes, remained silent about a practice that it was in their interest to protect.

Through the late 1980s and 1990s there was a great deal of turbulence throughout the country. Workers' strikes, student demonstrations and the rebel Tuareg movement all called for reform. After being ruled under a military regime for most of the independent era, democracy was fully restored in 1999. In this more open context, Timidria has been leading a growing section of society to speak out against slavery and related discrimination.

Despite being prohibited under the 1999 Constitution and the Penal Code, many people remain in various forms of slavery. People are born into slavery, and are forced to work without pay for their so-called masters throughout their lives, primarily herding cattle, working on farmland or as domestic servants. Born into slavery, children become the property of their masters and can be passed from one slave owner to another as gifts or as part of a dowry. Girls are forced to start work as domestic servants at a very young age and are at the continual beck and call of their masters. Girls may be sexually abused by men in the household or forced to marry at a young age.

The true scale of slavery became clear last year, after Timidria carried out extensive research, supported by Anti-Slavery International. In this, the first national survey on slavery, over 11,000 people were interviewed, most of whom were identified as slaves. The research establishes that a minimum of 43,000 people are in slavery across the country.

Slaves are owned and controlled by their masters, receiving a meagre amount of food and a place to sleep in return for their labour. The master decides who a slave marries and whether their children go to school. Many of those interviewed in the survey had also been subjected to violence, rape, degrading treatment and threats.

People who are viewed as coming from the slave class also face ongoing discrimination. Masters consider that they own their slaves, so even when former slaves have been free for many years, the master will assume the right to approve their marriage or inherit their property. Slaves are also not on the electoral roll and so not entitled to vote. This political exclusion enables those in power to maintain the status quo and is an immediate concern given the upcoming elections.


Asibit
Asibit's experience is typical of many former slaves in Niger. She was a slave for 50 years. She was born a slave, her mother, husband and children were all slaves. She had to work all day from early in the morning, preparing food for the master and his family, milking camels, collecting water and firewood, and doing all the household chores. She had to move her master's heavy tent four times a day so he and the mistress remained sitting in the shade.

Asibit escaped on 28 June 2004, walking 30 kilometres to freedom. She says of her experience:

"We were never paid, I was only given one tenth of the camel milk and leftovers. I have never known happiness until this month of freedom. Now I can go to bed when I want, no one insults me. Now that I am free, I can live as I please."

Timidria is now helping Asibit adjust to freedom and has also secured the release of her mother and daughter.


Challenges and achievements
Timidria is challenging a widespread silence and implicit acceptance of slavery. Many see slavery as a cultural phenomenon that only exists today as a hangover from the past, which provides structure to society and a way of life to people who, they claim, know no other way to survive. It is also still very much a taboo subject in Niger, and Timidria has met strong resistance and intimidation from the slave owning classes, both in the state administration and the traditional chieftain system.

As a result, the organisation has faced a constant battle to have slavery recognised as a genuine problem in Niger. Despite this, Timidria has made genuine changes in people's perceptions of slavery. Following the publication of the joint research report last year, the Government amended the Penal Code to define, prohibit and punish slavery with sentences of up to 30 years imprisonment. This is a great achievement after sustained campaigning by Timidria.

The challenge now is to ensure that the new law is properly applied and that integration programmes are put in place to help thousands of survivors of slavery to rebuild their lives. Education and training programmes need to be carried out among the public, law enforcement officials, and the wider administration.

Timidria recognises that slavery and discrimination exist in a context of extreme poverty. Development agencies need to consider how their efforts to combat poverty can have a greater impact on eradicating slavery. Timidria hopes that other African countries will follow the example of Niger in taking the necessary steps, such as legal reform, to eradicate slavery wherever it exists.

Timidria